Hope For More
by whatsthatsound
Summary: Slash. Sequel to One Moment. Raven is secretly in love with Chelsea. When she can't stand to hide her feelings any longer, what will Raven tell her best friend? And how will Chelsea react?
1. Chapter 1

Hope For More

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven." Not a single thing, I swear.**

**_Author's Note: Hey guys. Yeah, I'm back again.It's kind of quick, butI don't think I could hold this story in. It's likea continuation of "One Moment." I suggest you read that first. _**

**_It's kind of a slash story.Raven is secretly in love with Chelsea. If that sort of stuff turns you off, read no further.For those who don't mind, I hope you review it. I would greatly appreciate it. Well, here goes..._**

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Chapter 1

_The air was crisp and cool, but not to the point of chilly, and the blinding sun shone down upon them. Raven and Chelsea were sprawled out on a red and black plaid picnic blanket in the park. Raven turned on her side to face Chelsea, who did the same._

_"This is where it happened. This is where I fell in love with you." Raven whispered and Chelsea smiled._

_"Oh Rae. I love you too. I always have."_

_Then, Chelsea leaned inward; Raven could feel her hot, anxious breath on her cheeks. Raven closed her eyes just before their lips were to connect and...  
_

The alarm clock buzzed angrily in Raven Baxter's ear. With a heavy arm, she slammed her hand down on the "off" button, and slowly pulled her self to a sitting position.

Why did the night have to end? Why did she wake up just before she and Chelsea kissed? Every night she had that dream, and every morning she woke up just before they kissed. It was torture.

But that was nothing compared to facing Chelsea every day and hiding her feelings. That was almost deadly. In fact, Raven didn't know how much longer she could keep it up. She didn't even feel like going to school today, but she had a math test.

Raven got up out of bed and went through the motions. She took a shower, picked out some clothes, and went downstairs for breakfast. Cory was sitting in the kitchen, finishing up some waffles. Raven sighed in relief. Thankfully, neither of her parents were there. Tanya was out of town and Victor had an early staff meeting down at the resturant. The last thing she needed was another interrogation about what was going on in her life.

Victor and Tanya Baxter were pretty cool parents. They knew when to back off, when to give their children space, but they weren't stupid. They knew that something was bothering Raven, and constantly asked her about school, her friends, and her life in general. Normally, Raven wouldn't mind such questions, it was just a sign that they cared. But she didn't think that her parents could handle her being in love with her best friend...who happened to be a girl. Sure, they were understanding, but Raven didn't know how far that understanding went. Plus, she didn't need them to act all weird around Chelsea if they found out.

Not that Chelsea had been coming around anyway.

Over the past few months, Raven could feel her friendship with Chelsea slowly breaking. At first, she thought she could handle hiding her feelings. But the want was too great, and the temptation was overwhelming. Raven found herself avoiding Chelsea a lot of the time. When Chelsea would approach her asking if they could hang out, most of the time, Raven just made up some stupid excuse. The past few days, Chelsea hadn't come around at all. It hurt not seeing her, but it hurt even more when she was around.

Raven thought about that saying, "What a tangled web we weave..." She couldn't remember who said it, but it really made sense, especially in her case.

"Hey, Dad said you're supposed to walk me to school today." Cory said, putting his plate in the sink and grabbing an empty glass out of the dish rack.

"Fine." Raven replied flatly. She grabbed the last muffin out of the basket on the counter and bit into it. It was hard, dry, and she decided that she wasn't hungry anyway, so she threw it away.

"What's up with you?" Cory asked, downing a glass of orange juice.

"Not hungry."

"Not that. What's up with you lately? You're acting freakier than usual. You failing something?"

Raven rolled her eyes. It was enough that she had to deal with her parents, now Cory was getting in on it? "No. I'm not failing. I just got a lot of things on my mind, that's all."

"What kind of things?"

"None of your business brat. Now go get ready. We're leaving in five minutes."

"Fine. I was just trying to be nice." Cory huffed, storming out of the room.

Raven sighed and grabbed her backpack and looseleaf binder off the counter. Something fell out and floated to the kitchen floor. She crouched down and picked it up. It was the picture she had taped to the inside of her binder. It was a picture of her, Eddie and Chelsea the night of "The Chill Grill's" big opening. Victor had taken it after closing. The three friends were laughing and hugging each other. Raven was in the middle, Chelsea on her left and Eddie on her right.

That was before everything got so complicated. When hugging Chelsea didn't feel so wrong and right at the same time. When she could tell Chelsea that she liked her outfit without checking out her ass. When she didn't feel like holding Chelsea (and never letting go) was the only thing she wanted to do, ever.

Raven sighed again, slipping the picture back in the binder. A few seconds later, Cory returned and they both headed out the door.

* * *

**_Well, tell me what you think. Should I go on? Thanks._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven." Not a single thing, I swear.**

Chapter 2

The hallways of Bayside High buzzed with students. Raven opened her locker, shoved her bookbag inside and grabbed her history textbook. When she closed the door, Eddie was standing beside her. She gasped in surprise, but settled when she realized who it was.

"Hey Eddie. Thanks for the little heart attack. I needed the energy boost."

Eddie didn't miss a beat. "No problem. So, you want to do movies tonight at your house? We haven't done that in forever."

Raven shrugged. "Okay. What time?"

"I figured we'd be there by six?"

"We who?" Raven asked, already knowing the answer. Why would she agree to movie night?

"Me and Chels. Who else?"

Trying to save herself, Raven stuttered, "Uh...I figured Chantel would be coming. You two are still together, right?"

"No." Eddie muttered bitterly, but then added, "But I'm sure by lunch we will be."

"I'm so happy for you." Raven said sarcastically.

"I didn't think you'd be cool with me bringing Chantel, but I guess I could bring her."

Raven nodded. It would be easier to be around Chelsea with more people around.

"Maybe Chelsea can bring Ben...or maybe not." Eddie said, pointing behind Raven. She turned.

Chelsea and Ben were standing by the school's entrance doors. Ben was leaning up against the door's frame rubbing his head in frustration. Chelsea was standing straight as a board, her hands moving around wildly. They seemed to be having a quiet argument. Raven's stomach curled at the sight of Ben.

In the beginning, Raven and Ben got along. They were both psychic, and Ben had entrusted her with his secret, even before his own family and friends. Ben was nice and funny, and treated everyone with kindness and respect. And Chelsea liked him, which was fine at first. But jealousy soon took over, and Raven found herself being intentionally rude and short with Ben. He put up with it for Chelsea, but soon, he stopped trying to remain friends with Raven. Ben stopped hanging out with everyone at lunch, and sometimes, he kept Chelsea from them. He said things like he "wanted some time alone" with her and stuff like that. Chelsea didn't notice the tension of course, but she did realize that Ben didn't want to hang out at the same lunch table as her friends any more. If Chelsea was nothing else, she was loyal to her friends. The relationship kind of went downhill from there.

Raven supposed that she would be the cause of their breakup, and she felt bad, but jealousy had a way of making you stop caring about stuff like that.

Raven and Eddie watched at Ben put his hands up in defeat and Chelsea just shook her head and walked away. Chelsea's sad eyes locked with Raven's as she headed toward them. Raven felt as if she was going to be sick. Her stomach did a flip and her heart began to pick up its pace. She felt her breath catch in her throat as Chelsea walked up to them and muttered a dim, "Hey."

"So, you and Ben..." Eddie said, motioning toward where she and Ben just were.

Chelsea sighed. "I don't get him anymore." She opened her locker, took out her textbook and closed it. "Don't worry about it."

All Raven could do was nod. She thought of a million things to say like, "Forget him, you don't need him. You're better off without him. You're better off with me." But she couldn't say anything like that. She had to say something though.

After a few moments of silence, Raven cleared her throat and said. "Uh Chels..."

"Yea?"

"Um...do-do y-do you want to..." Why was this so hard?

Both Eddie and Chelsea stared at Raven. "Do I want to..."

"Come over to my house tonight? F-for movie night." It finally came out of her mouth. Raven remembered the last time she had such difficulty speaking. It was when she asked Devon out on a date. This, however, could **NOT** be a date.

"Oh." Chelsea's face brightened. It had been a while since she'd been to Raven's house. Mostly it was because Raven had been avoiding her and she thought Raven was mad at her. But now it must be okay since Raven was inviting her over. "Yeah sure. What time?"

"Around six?" Raven exhaled, not even realizing that she had been holding her breath. Could it be possible that she was afraid that Chelsea was going to say no?

Chelsea nodded. "Cool. I'll bring the chips."

Raven smiled. "I'll provide the soda."

"I'll get the movie." Eddie added.

Then, the bell rang and the three friends rushed off to History class.

* * *

As Mr. Donavon droned on about World War II, Raven began to daydream about Chelsea that day in the park. She could feel the rain beating down on her head and shoulders. And the wind whipping her hair around her face making it hard to keep her eyes open. She saw Chelsea twirling and how, just for a moment, the sun made her sparkle.

Then she was tapped on the shoulder. Raven straightened up in her seat just as a folded piece of looseleaf paper slid over her shoulder and into her lap. She picked it up; there was a bold "R" on one side in blue ink. Raven turned her head slightly, acknowledging Chelsea behind her. She unfolded the paper carefully, looking up every so often to make sure that the teacher didn't suspect anything. When she finally got it open, there was a short note in the middle of the paper.

_Rae,  
Can we talk during lunch...privately?_

Raven's heart skipped a beat. Why would Chelsea want to talk to her privately? Raven wrote, "**Y**?" quickly, folded the paper as best as she could, and carefully dropped the paper over her shoulder onto Chelsea's desk. Seconds later, the note was back in her lap.

_"I need to talk to you alone."_

**"Again, y?"**

"_Please?"_

"**OK."**

For the rest of the period, Raven wondered what Chelsea would have to say to her. She also dreaded being alone with Chelsea. Raven didn't think she could stand being alone with Chelsea without doing something that would give away her secret. Of course, she really didn't know. She hadn't been alone with Chelsea for quite some time. This would be a test of some sort. A test of self control. Raven hoped above all hope that she would pass.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven." Not a single thing, I swear.**

Chapter 3

Raven took a deep breath seconds before the lunch bell rang. Students flocked to their lockers for money, lunch bags, walkmans, notebooks, etc. Chelsea was standing by her locker, waiting. Raven took another deep breath and then headed over to her friend.

"Hey, you wanted to talk?"

Chelsea nodded. "Not here. Let's find an empty classroom or something."

They walked around the halls in silence when they finally came upon a vacant classroom. Raven walked in and Chelsea followed, closing the door behind them. Raven turned and shakily said, "So, what's up?"

"Okay. Rae, I've noticed that you've been avoiding me for a couple of weeks now. Every time I want to hang out, you make an excuse not to go."

"That's not true." Raven interrrupted. "Wh-what about tonight? You're coming over tonight."

"Yeah I know. But all those times before...did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me or something?"

Raven looked into Chelsea's soft brown eyes and felt her heart melt. What she wanted to say was, "Girl, you could never, ever make me mad...ever. I love you."

What acutally came out of her mouth was. "No."

Chelsea crossed her arms, but there was no attitude, there was just curiosity with just a slight dash of hurt in her voice. "So then what's up Rae?"

"I-I-I've just had a lot going on lately. And, I'm sorry if you think I've been avoiding you, because I didn't mean to. Honestly." Raven tried her hardest to keep her voice at its normal pitch. Chelsea seemed to have this theory that whenever Raven lied, her voice became very high.

Chelsea seemed to buy it. "Okay...as long as you're not mad at me."

"I'm not. Promise."

"Okay." Then, Chelsea did exactly what Raven dreaded, but really, really wanted. She hugged her.

Raven was overtaken by her scent. Strawberries. It wafted off of her hair and into Raven's nostrils, drowning her in the aroma. Raven felt her knees go weak and fought to keep herself balanced. She closed her eyes, letting the smell wash over her, and she never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, Chelsea pulled back and Raven was pulled out of her euphoria.

The aroma lingered in her nose for a moment, leaving her drunk with love. She must've looked awkward just standing there with her eyes closed, and Chelsea noticed.

"Earth to Rae."

Raven snapped her eyes open. "Hmm?"

"Are...you okay?" Chelsea asked, staring at Raven questionably.

"Um...yeah. Sorry. Just a little distracted. So, is that it?"

"Yeah I guess. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Fine. Hungry. Let's go eat." Raven said quickly and left the room before Chelsea could respond. She had sort of passed her own little self control test. Except for the last few minutes, she held her own and kept her urge at bay. Maybe movie night wouldn't be such a disaster.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 4

Raven put empty bowls down on the coffee table and fluffed the pillows on the couch. The living room was neat, for the most part. Raven did a quick dusting before everyone was to get there. Cory and Victor had gone out for the evening, going out to eat before going to a baseball game. She had the house all to herself.

Just a little after six, the doorbell rang. Raven jogged over and opened the door. Eddie, Chantel and Chelsea were standing there. Eddie swung the bag of movies around on his finger while Chelsea held two big paper bags full of junk food.

"Hey Rae, sorry we're late." Eddie said and Raven shrugged. Eddie and Chantel moved past her while Chelsea struggled with the bags. One of them fell from her weak grasp, but Raven caught it just in time.

"Woah. What's with all this?" Raven asked, looking inside the bag she caught. There were chips, popcorn, chocolates, peanuts and pretzels in this one bag alone.

"Yeah well, Chantel helped me shop." Chelsea stated, and Raven nodded, understanding. Chantel, for a skinny girl, had a very large appetite. Raven often wondered where she put it all, and hated her just a little for eating so much and looking so great.

"Wow, Raven, you have a very nice house. Thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks Chantel." Raven said surprised, and then realized that Chantel had never been at her house before, which was weird because Eddie was there all the time.

"Let's put this stuff in the kitchen." Raven said and Chelsea nodded.

The girls continued to the kitchen, putting their bags on the counter and unpacking.

"You invited Chantel?" Chelsea asked. "I just thought that Eddie brought her along."

"I didn't exactly invite her. When Eddie asked about movie night, I just asked if Chantel would be coming. Eddie took it from there."

"So, why didn't you ask if Ben was coming along?"

Raven cringed at the sound of his name. "Well...I saw you guys fighting and just thought it wasn't the right time to ask."

"But you would be cool with him coming here?"

Raven sighed. "Yeah. Why are you asking anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know." Then Chelsea laughed a little. "I-I just sometimes get this feeling that you guys don't really like each other."

Raven didn't respond and Chelsea stopped laughing. "What, you don't like him?"

"I really don't care either way Chels."

"But, I thought you guys were friends."

"We are." Raven lied. "If you want to bring him next time, that's fine."

Before Chelsea could say anything, Eddie shouted, "Hey girls, where are those snacks! Cookie-lips is getting hungry! You know how she gets when she's hungry!"

They then heard a shrill "Eddie!" and the soft thump of a pillow connecting with Eddie's body.

Chelsea stood there, looking at Raven suspiciously. Raven avoided looking directly at Chelsea. After a few seconds, Chelsea sighed loudly, grabbed two bags of chips and went into the living room. Raven hung her head.

"What is wrong with you!" Raven whispered sternly to herself. Then, she grabbed four cans of soda and went into the living room.

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The first movie, "Man-Eating Zombies from Mars" wasn't as stupid as the title suggested. It was acutally quite frightening. Chantel had buried her head in Eddie's shoulder fifteen minutes into the movie and only came out to grab big handfuls of popcorn. Chelsea sat indian-style on the couch cushion hugging a pillow, which she frequently put over her face in fright. Raven had maneuvered herself into the corner, bringing her knees up underneath her chin and covered her eyes with her hand but had split her fingers apart a little to see what was going on. Eddie seemed to be the only one enjoying the movie; his eyes were wide, but his mouth had curved some sort of sick smile.

"I don't know how much more of this I can stand!" Chantel shouted from Eddie's shoulder who put a comforting arm around her.

"That's what we get for letting Eddie pick the movie." Raven said just loud enough for Chelsea to hear and she nodded in agreement.

Suddenly another helpless female zombie victim (and Chantel) screamed and Chelsea jumped, landing in Raven's lap. Raven froze, looking down at Chelsea, who had her hands over her face. "I can't watch! Is she dead?" Chelsea shouted, but it came out muffled because of her hands.

"Uh-uh...I'm gonna get another soda." Raven said, gently pushing Chelsea off of her and getting up. "Anyone else want one?"

Eddie raised his hand. Neither Chantel or Chelsea answered, too scared to move.

Raven hurried into the kitchen and leaned on the counter, shaking her head. "Now is not the time to break Baxter. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this..."

Raven continued to say it in her head over and over as she grabbed two sodas from the fridge. Suddenly, she was pulled into a vision.

**_Raven and Chelsea were in Raven's room. Chelsea's hair was wet. She was crying and shaking. Raven wiped a tear away with her thumb. Chelsea closed her eyes and leaned in..._**

Raven dropped the soda and gasped as she was pulled out of her vision. One of the cans exploded, spraying cola all over the kitchen floor. "Damn!" Raven exclaimed, jumping out of the way of the growing puddle.

Chelsea burst through the doors. "Raven are you okay? I heard a--oh!" She said, seeing the soda running down the linoleum floor.

Raven grabbed a roll of paper towel and tore off several sheets, throwing it down on the mess. She threw a few more down, and Chelsea crouched down to collect it.

"Oh, you don't have to--I got it." Raven stammered.

"Please. Anything to get me away from that movie for a while."

Raven stared at Chelsea while she gathered the soda-soaked paper towels. All she saw was her vision; a million thoughts ran through her head. Why was Chelsea crying? Why was she wet? What happened? More importantly, what was going to happen? Why did Chelsea lean in like that?

"...op?"

"Hmm?" Raven said, snapping back to reality.

"Where's your mop? The floor's kind of sticky."

"Oh! I'll get it." Raven said, going over to the closet at the end of kitchen and grabbing the mop and bucket. She put a little bit of water in the bucket and dropped the mop in. Chelsea dumped the dirty paper towel in the garbage while Raven mopped the sticky area.

When that was finished, Chelsea put down some more paper towels and stepped on them, shuffling across the wet area to dry it. Raven dumped the water down the sink and put the mop and bucket back.

Chelsea pulled the now wet paper towels from the bottom of her shoes and put them in the trash. "Okay, I guess that'll do."

"It's fine. Thanks."

"I kinda don't want to go back in there." Chelsea joked as a loud scream erupted from the television.

Raven grabbed two more sodas and opened the door to the living room. "Come on, it's not that scary."

"Are you kidding!" Chelsea exclaimed. "Are you watching the same movie?"

Raven shook her head and sat back down on the couch. She handed Eddie a soda. "What's happening? What'd we miss?"

"Well, the zombies ate three more people and the dog."

"Oh, not Chompers!" Chelsea whimpered.

Eddie nodded. "Yep. Sorry Chels."

"Man, I was hoping he'd make it."

Raven cast a sideways glance at Chelsea and smiled.

There were two more movies after that, neither of them as scary as the first one, but then again, Raven wasn't paying attention. She was thinking about her vision. She was excited and scared at the same time. When would it happen? What was going to happen? What did it all mean?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 5

The sun shone dimly through Raven's window, hitting her in the face. Raven turned on her back in her bed, breathing loudly because there was nothing else to do. She looked at her clock. 6:52 a.m. It was the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning and Raven Baxter was wide awake. She hadn't slept at all last night. She was too busy trying to analyze her vision. She kept wondering why Chelsea was leaning in, and she tried not to get her hopes up.

Because it looked like Chelsea was leaning in for a kiss.

But that was impossible. Chelsea wouldn't kiss Raven. She was straight, and she had a boyfriend. And she had no idea that Raven was in love with her.

"She's not going to kiss you. You're reading the whole vision wrong." Raven's own voice rang in her ears.

Still, she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of excitement. Raven closed her eyes and imagined what Chelsea's lips would feel like on hers. Soft and glossy. They probably tasted like strawberries. Chelsea's favorite gloss was called "Strawberry Field." Raven wouldn't mind the taste at all. She pictured herself running a hand through Chelsea's auburn locks and tracing her jawline with the tips of her fingers. Chelsea would grab at Raven's hips bringing their bodies closer together. Raven would wrap her arm around Chelsea's waist, drawing her in. They would fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. And then...

"Argh...snap out of it!" Raven nearly shouted. "Don't do this. Don't do this to yourself."

Tears burned in her eyes. Her heart ached...it yearned. It wanted, no needed, something it could never have.

That's the worst part of loving someone you know you'll never have. The pain is just too much.

Raven threw her covers off and slowly crawled out of bed. Just laying there and fantasizing wasn't going to anything but upset her. So, she decided to go out for a walk.

* * *

The air was crisp and damp. It was going to rain today. Raven stuck her hands into her dark blue hoodie as she walked around San Fransisco. As much as she tried, she just couldn't take her mind off of her vision. She wished, hoped, prayed that it happened quickly so she could have some freaking closure. 

Without even realizing it, Raven entered the park. The dewy wet grass dampened the bottom of her jeans as she shuffled along, lazily kicking an empty paper cup out of the way. She looked around, the park seemed empty. Sitting down on a bench just underneath the opening in the trees, Raven looked at the sky. It already looked cloudy. The whole day was probably going to be miserable, just like Raven knew she would be until her vision came true.

Then, it could go either way.

Raven squinted as she looked up past the clouds, past the sky, searching for the solution. Searching for anything that would make it all better. It was up there somewhere, she was sure of it. She spent two hours there, just searching...but never coming up with an answer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 6

Chelsea flinched as thunder cracked over her head once again. It hadn't begun to rain yet, but it was going to soon. Chelsea could feel it. Ben walked beside her, not holding her hand like he usually did. They had just had a rather uncomfortable dinner at their favorite resturant. Ben seemed like he wanted to say something to her all evening, but he didn't know how to say it. As they walked back to her house, in silence, Chelsea finally cracked.

"What's wrong?"

"What?"

"You've been acting weird all night. What's on your mind?"

Ben sighed, and rubbed his forehead, looking around. "Here." He said, bringing Chelsea to a bus stop bench. Chelsea scrunched her forehead in worry. Suddenly, she didn't think she wanted to know what was wrong.

"Chelsea, I...I know that we've been going out for some time now and it's been great..."

"Ben, what are you trying to--" Chelsea asked, confused.

"Just let me finish. I-I...I can't do it anymore."

"Can't do what anymore? Ben, what are you saying?"

Ben sighed, looking at the ground to try to gather some courage. Then, he looked right into Chelsea's eyes and said, "I think we should break up."

Chelsea looked at Ben for a second, trying to grasp what he was saying. When it finally hit her, she drew in a sharp breath. "What?" she barely whispered.

"I-I don't think it's working between us." Ben stammered, clearly losing his nerve. "I'm sorry."

Chelsea looked around. She nodded a little, tears springing to her eyes. "That's...this is...what? You take me out, act weird all night, and then break up with me at a **BUS STOP**!"

Ben looked around in embarassment, smiling nervously at the people who turned their attentions toward him and Chelsea.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Look Chelsea. It's not going to work out. I'm sorry. We're...we're just too different."

"What are you talking about? We've been going out for months. And-and up until a few weeks ago, we were fine. I don't understand what happened."

"Can't we just leave it at this? Can't we?"

"No. I want to know what happened! Did I do something?"

Ben looked at Chelsea, mentally begging her to leave it alone, but Chelsea refused, standing her ground. Ben didn't want to hurt her any more than he already did, so he just sighed and said, "Chelsea, you're a great girl, but it's not going to work. I'm sorry."

Ben grabbed her hand and squeezed it before getting up and walking away. Chelsea let out a small laugh in surprise before the tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Then, it started to pour.

Chelsea shook her head as the other people around her scrambled for cover. She was soaked in seconds. The rain batted against her face, mixing with her salty tears. Chelsea stood up and began to walk. She didn't know where, she just had to get away from that place.

* * *

Raven jogged down the steps into the living room, playing with the pull string on her pajama pants. She was bored. Cory and Victor were over at, "The Chill Grill," Eddie was on a date with Chantel, and Chelsea was on a date with Ben. 

She was all alone again, and it was stormy outside. Lightening split through the sky, lighting the dark living room up for a moment. The loud patter of rain filled Raven's ears as she made her way to the kitchen. Suddenly, there was a knock. Raven turned, and lightening crashed again, exposing a dark figure standing just outside the front door. Raven hesitated for a minute, and the scary movie from last night entered her mind. There was a second of irrational thinking, where Raven could imagine a "Man-eating Zombie from Mars," standing outside, but the thought left almost as soon as it came.

Raven opened her door. Chelsea was there, soaking wet and shaking. "Chelsea! What are you doing here?"

Chelsea shrugged. "I didn't know where else to go."

"Well come in." Raven said, ushering Chelsea into the house. "You're soaked! Come upstairs, I'll get you some dry clothes."

Raven ignored the tingle she felt in her hand when she grabbed Chelsea's. There were more important things to think about. Like getting Chelsea dry before she caught pneumonia.

Raven pulled Chelsea into her room and took out a pair of sweatpants and a sweat shirt from her drawer. Then, she rushed into her bathroom and got a towel. "Here." She said, handing the clothes to Chelsea.

Chelsea muttered a "thanks" before going into the bathroom to change. While she waited, Raven picked up the phone and called Chelsea's house.

"Hello, Mrs. Daniels? Hi, it's Raven. I'm just calling to ask if Chelsea can spend the night here. Yes, I know she was with Ben, but she's here now. It's raining so hard and she was soaked so I gave her some dry clothes and she's changing. Yes. So, is it okay? All right, thanks. Yes, I'll tell her. Okay. Bye." Raven hung up just as Chelsea came out of the bathroom. She had the wad of wet clothes in her hand.

"Where can I put these?" She asked and Raven could tell she was really upset.

"Uh...here, I'll take them. They can go in the dryer right?"

Chelsea nodded. Raven nodded too. "Okay, I'll just go put these in the dryer and you can dry your hair. Be right back."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem." Raven said and ran downstairs to the laundry room. She threw the clothes into the dryer and turned it on. As the dryer began to vibrate, Raven leaned against it, taking deep nervous breaths. She knew that when she went back upstairs, her vision was going to come true. Everything she saw was there. Chelsea's hair was wet and she was upset, so all Raven needed to do was be up there too.

"It's okay. You can do this." Raven reassured herself, but didn't really believe it. Nevertheless, she wanted to know what happened, so she went back upstairs.

Chelsea was sitting on the bed, towel drying her hair. Raven sat down next to Chelsea on the bed. "Hey. I know you like the rain, but isn't this a little extreme?"

Chelsea put the towel aside. She didn't say anything, but fresh tears glistened in her eyes.

"What happened?"

"Ben broke up with me."

"Oh. I'm sorry Chelsea." Raven tried her best to sound sincere, but inside she was beaming. Which was bad. Not nice at all. But, Raven didn't care at the moment.

"I don't know why though. I don't know what went wrong. Is it me?"

Raven couldn't help herself. "No. No way, Chels. Don't even think that. There's nothing wrong with you."

"Then why did he break up with me?" Chelsea cried, tears begining to roll down her cheeks. She put her face in her hands, sobbing a little.

"I don't know Chels. But whatever the reason, it's his loss. You're great. You're smart, a-and funny, and kind to everyone. And...beautiful."

Chelsea looked up at Raven. "Y-you think so?"

Raven nodded nervously, smiling slightly. "I know so."

Then, Raven saw her vision happen. Chelsea was sitting there, her hair wet, crying and shaking. And Raven couldn't stop her hand from moving up to Chelsea's face and wiping a tear away with her thumb. Her heart literally stopped as Chelsea leaned in...and wrapped Raven in a tight hug.

Raven closed her eyes, relaxing in disappointment. She fought hard to keep her own tears from falling. It was just a hug. Not a kiss. Raven scolded herself mentally for thinking even for a second that Chelsea was going to kiss her. She put her arms around Chelsea too and noticed that Chelsea was still shaking.

"You really are a great friend Raven." Chelsea whispered through her tremors.

Raven swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "You're shivering. Are you cold?"

They broke apart and Chelsea said, "I'm fine. Tired."

"Well, I called your mom and she said that you can stay over. You just gotta call her in the morning."

"Okay." Chelsea lay down and Raven pulled the covers up around her.

"I'll just get my sleeping bag--" Raven said, backing away from Chelsea, but Chelsea grabbed her hand.

"Wait. Can...can you just stay here with me for a while, until I fall asleep?"

"Uh, sure." Raven said, sitting down at the edge of the bed. Chelsea scooted over and Raven hesitantly laid down above the blankets next to her. Raven held onto Chelsea's hand, which felt cold and clammy. But, Chelsea's shivering had stopped. Raven pulled Chelsea's hand up to her side, soChelsea's arm was slung acrossRaven's stomach.

Chelsea didn't seem to mind since she didn't pull away. Raven moved her head sideways so she was facing Chelsea. Chelsea's eyes were closed.

"Chels?"

"Hmm?"

There was a moment of silence. And then Raven said, "I love you. You know that right?"

"Hmmm." Chelsea replied, drifting off to sleep.

Raven bit her lip as the tears she fought so hard to control began to make their way down the sides of her face. Then, she kissed Chelsea's forehead, released her hand, and carefully got out of the bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with "That's So Raven." **

Chapter 7

_They were on a green hilltop, with splotches of yellow flowers covering certain areas. Raven chased after Chelsea, who ran around the hill laughing and screaming in delight. When Raven finally caught her, they fell and rolled down the side a little, landing in a flower patch, laughing. Chelsea grabbed a yellow flower and ran it across her cheeks and nose._

_"Jack and Jill went up the hill..." She sang, giggling like a little girl._

_"More like Jill and Jill." Raven corrected, leaning on her side and propping herself up on one elbow._

_Chelsea ran the flower down the side of Raven's face, tickling her jaw. "I love you" Raven whispered as she brushed a stray hair out of Chelsea's eyes._

_Raven leaned in and Chelsea smiled. Just as their lips met..._

**BANG!**

Raven shot up from her sleeping bag on the floor and immediately felt pain stab at the right side of her neck. "Ow! What the--Cory!"

Cory stood in the doorway, smiling malicously. "Wakie, wakie! Dad told me to tell you breakfast is ready."

Rubbing her neck, she yelled, "You little turd! Don't you know how to wake up someone nicely? You know Chelsea's here, why you gotta be so rude?"

"Chelsea's awake. I saw her go into your bathroom."

Raven looked over at her bed. Chelsea wasn't there, but the bed was nicely made. She turned to Cory and sneered. Getting out of her sleeping bag she said, "I'm up, your job is done. Bye now."

Cory took an obnoxious bow and left the room. Raven rubbed her neck some more, trying to turn it to the right. She turned it about a quarter of the way before pain shot up and down her neck. "Great. Stiff neck, that's all I need."

"Good morning." Chelsea said, coming from the bathroom. She had put her clothes from last night back on and was holding the folded sweat clothes in her hand. "Where can I put these?"

"Oh, just put them on the bed, I'll take care of it."

Chelsea put the clothes on the edge of the bed and sat down. She looked up at Raven. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Okay." Raven said, rubbing her neck some more. "I think I got a stiff neck."

"Sorry." Chelsea looked guilty.

"No it's fine. You...needed the bed more than I did." Raven noticed that Chelsea looked more flushed than usual. "You want to stay for breakfast?"

Chelsea shook her head slowly. "No thanks. I don't feel so well. I think I'm just gonna go home."

"Oh, okay. So, I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah." Chelsea gave Raven a quick hug before leaving. When she reached Raven's door, she turned. "Raven?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, for everything."

"No problem girl. Any time." Raven smiled a little and Chelsea returned it, but she still looked upset.

Then, Chelsea left.

Raven sat down on her bed and blew out all of the nervous air she was holding. Laying down, she closed her eyes and thought about her dream. That was, until Victor yelled up the stairs.

"Raven! Breakfast is getting cold!"

Raven opened her eyes and sat up, wincing as another wave of pain struck her neck. "Be right down." She called back, getting up and leaving the room.

When she got downstairs, Victor and Cory were sitting down, eating pancakes. She grabbed a plate and sat down, grabbing two pancakes from the tray with a fork.

"So, I saw Chelsea leave. I didn't know she was staying over."

"It wasn't planned." Raven said, pouring syrup all over her dish.

"What happened?"

"Well, her boyfriend broke up with her, so she was kind of upset. It was raining, she came to the house soaking wet, so I let her in and gave her some dry clothes. I guess she was too tired to leave, cause she fell asleep on my bed, so I called Mrs. Daniels and asked if Chelsea could stay. And she did."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Is Chelsea okay?"

Raven shrugged, cutting into the pancake and taking out a small triangle covered in syrup. She reluctantly put it in her mouth. It was too sweet and the pancake was too soft. She realized she wasn't hungry anyway.

"So, how's school?"

"Fine. I took a math test yesterday. I think I did all right."

"Just all right?" Victor asked, taking his plate and putting it in the sink.

"It was a little hard. But I passed it."

"How are you doing in all of your other classes?"

"I'm doing good. No problems to report."

"Okay." Victor nodded. "How about today, you plan on doing anything with your friends?"

Raven really didn't plan on doing anything today, but she didn't want to hang out with her father, as cool a person as he was. So, she lied. "Yeah. I'm going out later."

"That's nice."

"I'm going over to William's today Dad, is that cool?" Cory asked, finishing up his breakfast.

"Yea son, that's fine." Victor said, walking over to Raven. "Rae, you've barely eaten anything. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yea I feel fine. I'm just not hungry right now." Raven looked up at her father. "But the pancakes were good."

Victor smiled a little, but Raven could see the worry plastered all over his face. She changed the subject. "So Dad, what are you doing today?"

"Well, I have to go down to the resturant for a little while. We hired a new waitress and I have to show her the ropes."

"Why can't someone else do it?"

"Well, I like to train all of my new employees. That way, they do their jobs my way and there's no mix-up."

Raven nodded in understanding and then pushed her plate away. Getting up she went over to her father and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks daddy."

That would keep him off her back for a while. At least, until her mother go home tomorrow.

"Listen Raven, I know that it's not 'cool' to tell your parents everything, but I'm here for you anyway. If you ever need to talk..."

"I know." Raven said before leaving the room.

_"I know."_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven." Not a single thing. Not a doll or a movie or a game or anything. The only thing I own is my imagination, and even that runs away from me from time to time.**

Chapter 8

The weekend came and went, Tanya returned from her trip, and Raven successfully avoided almost all questions on her life. She called Eddie and told him about the breakup so he would know what was going on before school. Then, she called Chelsea, but her mother said she was sick. "It's probably just a small cold from walking around in the rain," she said, and thanked Raven for taking her in and giving her dry clothes.

Monday rolled around, and Raven didn't feel like getting out of bed. Nevertheless, she did, and took her time getting ready so she could pretend she was late and run out of the house without being bugged by her family.

When she got to school, Eddie and Chantel were kissing by the lockers. In fact, they were leaning up against her locker. Raven stood there for a minute, clearing her throat a few times, but the two lovebirds were way too into each other to hear anything.

Finally, she said, "Hi Principal Lawler! Nice day we're having!" Eddie and Chantel immediatly broke apart, snapping their heads around wildly looking for the principal. When they realized that Raven was joking, Eddie glared at her.

"Rae, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting you two off my locker, that's what I'm doing." Raven said, gently shoving Eddie to the side and opening her locker. "You two wanna play tonsil hockey, take it to the gym."

Eddie rolled his eyes. Chantel looked at her watch. "Oh, I have to run to Mrs. Depaulo's real quick before class. I have to talk to her about the project."

"Okay, baby, I'll see you in class." Eddie and Chantel shared another quick kiss and Raven quietly groaned.

"Ew, please cut it out with the P.D.A.'s now."

Chantel laughed a little and left. Eddie turned to Raven. "So, you seen Chelsea around?"

"No. I called yesterday, but her mother said she was sick. She's probably not going to be in today."

"How is she?"

"I don't know Eddie. When I last saw her, she was a mess."

"Yeah well, Ben better be out too, cause if I see him--"

"Eddie--Eddie whoa, whoa, whoa there!" Raven yelled, gesturing wildly to grab Eddie's attention. "Now, you're not gonna do or say anything to Ben."

"Why not?"

"Because, would Chelsea want you to? No. Just leave it alone for now."

It took a minute, but Eddie finally agreed. The thought of hurting Ben for hurting Chelsea had also crossed Raven's mind more than once, but she knew that Chelsea would be furious. The last thing she needed was for Chelsea to be mad at her.

As Eddie and Raven walked toward their first period class, Ben walked by. Raven felt her face get hot with fury. Ben almost past them, but then turned. "Raven."

Raven kept walking.

"Raven. Raven!" Ben called, catching up with her.

"What do you want?" Raven said just a little bit snottier than she meant to.

"Have you seen Chelsea?"

"She ain't here. And if your wise, you'd be gone too." Eddie threatened, crossing his arms.

Ben gave Eddie a confused look. Clearly, Eddie was no match. He was shorter, definitely less toned, and seemed slower. But, Eddie was all heart when it came to his friends. He would've put up a decent fight. Ben was never a fighter though.

"Good. That'll make it easier."

"What?" Raven asked. If Ben was implying that he was going to see another girl in school because Chelsea wasn't here, should wouldn't hesitate to rip his eyes from the sockets.

"We need to talk."

"I have nothing to--"

"Trust me, you'll want to talk." Ben looked directly into Raven's eyes, and Raven found herself shrinking away from him. He knew something.

He _knew._

Raven looked at Eddie, who looked at her in puzzlement. She turned back to Ben. Sighing and moving her jaw around a little, she finally said, "When?"

"Today, during lunch. I'll find you."

"Fine."

Ben nodded and walked away. Raven turned back to Eddie.

"Rae, you wanna tell me why you agreed to talk to him?"

"Not now Eddie." Raven shot at him quickly, speeding off to her class without him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Okay, let's run through this real quick. Me own nothing. Nadda, zero, zip, zilch, nuttin.**

Chapter 9

Lunchtime rolled around; Raven sat with Eddie and Chantel, tapping the pen in her hand nervously on the table. Chantel was digging away at "Monday's Meatloaf Surprise," but Eddie was watching her like a hawk.

"Rae, why don't you get something to eat?"

"Not hungry." Raven said, scanning the cafeteria. Suddenly, there he was. Ben. He scanned the lunchroom and soon both of their eyes met one another.

Raven got up. "See ya later."

Chantel waved her off without looking up from her tray. Eddie watched her leave the cafeteria.

* * *

Raven followed Ben into the same vacant classroom that she and Chelsea had their little talk in just a few days ago. She closed the door behind herself. Trying to play it cool, she hopped up onto the teacher's desk and crossed her legs. 

"So, what's up?"

"Don't act like you don't know."

"Know what?" Raven snapped, uncrossing her legs and leaning in closer to Ben. "Know that my best friend's heart was broken? Know that you broke it? Know--"

"The reason that I broke it off was you."

Raven glared at Ben. "What?"

"I sometimes think you forget that you're not the only psychic in this school. I've seen things Raven. I've seen more than I've ever wanted to see. Especially about my girlfriend's best friend."

Raven's stomach did a flip, twisting her insides up. 'Wait now,' she thought, trying to calm herself down, 'maybe he doesn't know what you think he knows.'

Ben looked like he was either going to cry, be sick, or do both. "You're in love with her."

He didn't waste any time dropping that bomb on her. There was no dance, no beating around the bush, no eggshells were walked on; Ben just went straight for the throat. And he didn't miss his mark.

She sucked in air quickly, holding it until her lungs burned. The whole room filled up with tension. The silence was deafening.

Finally, Raven found her voice and couldn't believe some of the things that were about to come out of her mouth. "You coward."

"What?" Ben stumbled back a little, shocked.

"You great big stupid coward. I can't believe you let go of one of the best people that will ever enter your life because of me. What is the matter with you?"

"So you do love her..."

"Yes. Yes I do, are you happy now? I said it. But I'm smart enough to keep it a secret so I don't lose her. And if you gave up on loving Chelsea because you know about my feelings, you're stupider than I ever thought."

"See now, you're wrong on two accounts." Ben said angrily. "One, your the dumb one for keeping your feelings a secret. And two, I didn't give up Chelsea because of _your _feelings. I broke it off because of hers."

Raven's eyes widened. "Wh-what did you say?"

Ben shook his head. "Look, I don't know how it's gonna turn out, but you better prepare yourself for the next couple of days."

"What, Ben, you had a vision about me and Chels?"

Ben shook his head. "I only saw a little bit, and I can't tell you how or why it happens but--"

"What Ben? What? Is..." Raven's eyes widened in fear. "Is Chelsea going to find out that I'm in love with her?"

"What?" A high-pitched voice squealed from behind Raven and she turned in shock. Ben rushed over and opened the door. Eddie was standing there, stiff as a board, pale, with his jaw hanging somewhere by his knees.

"Eddie!" Raven yelled in surprise. "What are you doing here?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 10

"Eddie!" Raven yelled in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Eddie just stared at Raven, his mouth agape. Ben and Raven waited for a response. When Raven couldn't wait any longer, she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Eddie!"

Eddie shook his head, closing his mouth. "Did...d-did I just hear what I think I heard?"

"That depends on how much you...actually heard." Raven said, scrunching her face.

"See, see now..." Eddie stammered, backing away from Raven and laughing nervously, "Now what-what I thought I heard was you..." Eddie pointed a shaky finger toward Raven.

"I heard you say you were in love with Chelsea."

Raven's shoulders drooped as she let out a big deafeated sigh. She looked to Ben for some help, but he just stood there. He could've been part of the wall, that's how useless he was right now.

"B-but that's gotta be wrong...right?"

When Raven didn't answer, Eddie's eyes widened beyond their limits. Raven was sure that his eyeballs were going to fall out any second.

"Eddie--" Raven said, stepping toward him, but Eddie shied away.

"No. R-Rae. NO!"

Raven couldn't believe this reaction. It was like Eddie was...disgusted with her. Her heart broke a little. If Eddie was this disturbed by Raven's feelings, how was Chelsea going to react?

"It's...I...I gotta go." Eddie ran off without looking back.

Raven turned to Ben, tears burning in her eyes. "Didn't see that one coming." She said, her voice cracking a little with emotion. "Did you?"

Ben sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah thanks." She replied, laughing. It wasn't a happy laugh though; it was the kind of laugh someone made when they realized how screwed they were.

Raven walked away from Ben. At least the school hallways were still empty. That was a blessing. Hopefully Eddie would keep his mouth shut. She turned a corner, looked around to see if Ben was following, he wasn't. Then, she kicked the closest locker to her, leaving a little dent. "Damn it!" She whispered hoarsely as hot tears began to roll down her cheeks. She leaned against the lockers, hugging herself, crying. She didn't care if anyone came and saw her.

Nobody came. After a few minutes, Raven decided that going to class wouldn't be the best idea, so she left school all together and went for a walk.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 11

Chelsea stared at her bedroom ceiling, counting the little glow in the dark stars she had stuck up on it when she was twelve. Twenty-two. There used to be more, but the glue was hardened and lost its grip. Whenever someone walked around on the floor above her bedroom, another star fell off. She could still see the outlines of where the stars used to be, but those really didn't count.

God, was she bored.

The cold washcloth her mother had put on her forehead to break the little fever Chelsea had was warm on all sides now, due to Chelsea's constant flipping to find a cold spot. Getting annoyed with it, she took it off her head and threw it across the room toward her hamper. And she missed.

Her parents had restricted Chelsea to her bed, but they wouldn't know that she left it. They weren't even here. They both had appointments with clients today, and Chelsea was grateful.

They were going to cancel all of their appointments to take care of her, but Chelsea insisted that they leave. Her parents wouldn't leave her alone for a second and it was starting to irritate her. When her mother left the room, her father came in. It was ridiculous. Chelsea knew they meant well, but she wasn't five. She was nearly seventeen and could take care of herself. It wasn't even that terrible a cold. She felt hot and a little dizzy sometimes, but that was about it. There wasn't even any coughing or sneezing. There was one sniffle two hours ago, that sent her mother into a tizzy, but Chelsea assured her she was fine.

So, they left, and at first Chelsea a little afraid that if she set one foot on her bedroom floor, some sort of weird alarm would sound. Then, a television would drop down out of nowhere, her parents would come onto the screen and scold Chelsea for leaving the bed.

Now though, Chelsea couldn't care less if an alarm actually went off and her parents did yell at her via television. She was bored out of her mind and really had to move around.

Chelsea got up and walked over to the hamper, picked up the washcloth beside it and threw it in. There was no alarm, but she did feel a little guilty. And very hot. Maybe getting up out of the bed wasn't such a good idea. Chelsea's face became very hot very quickly, and the room began to move a little on its own. 'I just need some fresh air,' she thought as she slowly made her way to the window beyond her bed.

"It's way too hot in here." Chelsea said aloud as she threw her curtains open and unlocked the window. She pulled it up quickly and stuck her head outside for a moment, closing her eyes and letting the slight breeze cool her face off. She opened her eyes just in time to see a very distraught Raven pass her by without noticing her.

"Hey Rae! Raven!"

Raven froze in place closing her eyes cursing herself for not taking a different route.

"I'll just keep walking, and think of something to tell her later." Raven mumbled to herself.

"Raven!" Chelsea called once again.

Even though she didn't want to, Raven turned. Chelsea was her weakness; she couldn't not answer her. She thanked God that she stopped crying a few blocks ago.

Raven walked closer to the window, shielding her eyes from the sunlight as she looked up. "Chels what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Chelsea said, looking at her clock and then back at Raven. "School's not over for another hour. What are you doing walking around?"

Raven shrugged and Chelsea yelled, "Wait there, I'll open the door for you."

"No Chels--" Raven yelled back, but Chelsea had alreay disappeared back into the house.

A few seconds later, Chelsea was at the door. Raven sighed and walked up the steps into her house. Raven took a closer look at Chelsea. The girl was still flushed and looked a little dazed. "Girl, what are you doing out of bed? You're sick."

"Yeah, but I'm bored." Chelsea whined, shuffling back to her room. Raven looked around. It seemed like the Daniels' weren't home. She reluctantly followed Chelsea into her room, stopping just beyond the doorway. She didn't trust herself to go any further.

Chelsea was sitting on her unmade bed with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on the tops of her hands. "What are you doing out of school?"

Raven didn't answer. Chelsea thought it was really weird that Raven stayed by her doorway and didn't come any closer. It couldn't be that Raven thought she was contagious. Last time she was sick, Raven came right in and sat in the bed with her. They watched movies all day. Then again, that was a little over a year ago, and Raven had changed since then. She wasn't acting normal at all.

It was then that Chelsea really saw how upset Raven looked. Chelsea straightened up in the bed. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Raven answered quickly, rooted to the spot.

"Come on Rae, you can tell me. I kinda owe you one."

"Trust me Chels, you can't help me."

"Why not?"

"You just can't." Raven regretted being so short with her and winced at the hurt that washed over Chelsea's face. "I'm sorry. Look, I gotta go--" Raven turned to leave.

"Rae wait!" Chelsea yelled, getting up from her bed quickly. Just a little too quickly, because the room spun like a top and threw her off. "Whoa," Chelsea moaned, putting a hand on her forehead and the otheron her lamp table, accidently knocking over the alarm clock. It hit the wall with a clatter, and Raven turned.

"Chelsea!" Raven exclaimed, running to her friend's aid. Chelsea flopped back down on her bed just as Raven grabbed her hand to steady her. Raven sat down next to her, looking at her with worry. "Are you okay?"

Chelsea shook her head a little and the room began to stop spinning. What she thought she was going to say was, "I'm fine. Just stood up too fast."

What she actually said was, "No."

"What's wrong? Should I call your parents?" Raven rambled, nervous and concerned.

"No. I'm not okay because you're my best friend and you're acting really weird, Raven."

Raven tried to slip her hand from Chelsea's but Chelsea was holding on tightly. "Chels..."

"What happened to you? You're just so...off these days! We used to be able to tell each other everything and up until this second, I thought we still could. Why can't you tell me what's upsetting you?"

"Because I can't."

"Why not?"

"Just because I can't Chelsea!" Raven shouted. "You have no idea what my life's been like for the past few months."

"I would if you just told me--"

"But it's not that simple Chels!" Raven cut her off, standing up and ripping her hand from Chelsea's.

"I don't understand why it can't be that simple. Ben broke up with me that night, and I felt horrible. I still feel horrible, but when I ended up at your house and told you about it, you made me feel better. Why can't things be the way they used to be? Why can't you talk to me Raven?"

"Because I don't want you to hate me!" Raven shouted and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. She had said way too much.

Chelsea squinted at Raven in confusion. "Huh?"

Raven backed away, new tears pooling in her eyes. "I...I can't!"

Then, Raven ran from Chelsea's room.

"Rae. Raven!" Chelsea called, but she didn't get up, afraid that she'd be dizzy again. She closed her eyes and laid down on the bed when she heard the front door slam.

"How could you think I'd hate you?" She whispered to herself, wracking her brain for answers.

* * *

Raven ran from the Daniels residence, sobbing and holding her stomach, afraid she was going to be sick. She put a shaky hand over her mouth to keep from gagging. 

'Oh god, I said way too much up there. Now Chelsea's definitly going to find out my secret.' She thought miserably.

As she ran down the block, she thought of what Chelsea would do if she found out. Pictures of Chelsea's disgusted face flashed through Raven's tortured mind.

She ran up the stairs to her front door, opened it quickly and flew inside, slamming the door behind her. Then, she ran up to her room and closed the door, leaning against it.

"What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" Raven whimpered over and over again, sliding down her door to the hardwood bedroom floor.

Raven closed her eyes out of sheer emotional exhaustion and reluctantly fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything about "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 12

_The sun beat down upon them as they lay sprawled out on a blanket. Raven smiled as Chelsea pointed out a white, puffy cloud._

_"That one looks like a bunny." Chelsea said and Raven nodded._

_"That one looks like a heart." Raven pointed to the next floating cloud._

_"But it's torn." Chelsea said sadly and Raven watched as the cloud broke apart._

_"Hmm. That one..." Raven sat up to get a closer look at the cloud. It looked like...her. It was her face, and she seemed to be crying._

_"You'll never have me." Chelsea said beside her and Raven looked at her._

_"What?"_

_Chelsea stood up and began to slowly back away from Raven._

_"Chelsea, Chels where are you going? No Chelsea, please don't leave!" Raven shouted, trying to move, but she couldn't. She was stuck. Her hands and legs seemed to bind with the blanket and Raven couldn't help but watch as Chelsea disappeared into the horizon. _

_"Please don't go! I love you! Chelsea!"_

Raven woke up, gasping for air. She looked around, and realized that she was still sitting against her bedroom door. Her eyes were dry and irritated from the crying and her cheeks felt plastic from all of the dry tear streaks.

She got up slowly and walked to her bathroom, turning on the sink and splashing cold water on her face. Breathing deeply, Raven looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was messed and her face was flushed from crying.

"Look at me. I'm a mess." She muttered, grabbing a brush and pulling it through her hair. Suddenly, there was a knock and her bedroom door opened.

"Hey Rae, it's Eddie. You in here?"

Raven put the brush down and cautiously went to her bathroom door. Eddie was standing by her desk, looking very troubled.

"Hey." It barely came out as a whisper. Eddie looked at Raven and immediately felt bad.

"S-sorry about before...at school."

Raven leaned against her bathroom door frame. "You hate me?"

"No. It just took me by surprise that's all."

"You tell anyone else?"

"Of course not."

Uncomfortable silence filled the room, which was really weird for both of them. Raven and Eddie had been friends forever. There was never one moment of discomfort before, and it made Raven feel even worse that Eddie couldn't be at ease around her.

Eddie took the initiative and sat down on Raven's bed. Raven followed, sitting a few inches away from him. She wasn't sure if she should sit closer.

"So...what are you thinking?" Raven said and Eddie shook his head slowly, his eyes focused on nothing.

"I don't know what to think Rae. You're in love with your best friend...my best friend...our best friend."

"Any way you spin it Ed, I'm still in love with her."

"When did this happen?"

"A while back."

"What, it just came out of nowhere? Like one minute your walking and the next, Boom! You're in love with her?"

"Well...yes, and no. I don't know how to explain it."

"Try. I really gotta understand this."

Raven looked at Eddie's confused and pain-filled face. He really wanted to understand it, but she could tell that he also kind of didn't want to know.

"I don't..." Raven looked up, searching her mind for an explanation that Eddie could grasp. "I-I guess it's like...I was blind."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. We've been friends with Chelsea forever and I saw her every day. But I didn't really _see _Chelsea. Then, one day, my eyes opened up, and I **SAW** Chelsea. I wasn't blind anymore. You understand?"

"I guess. It's just...she's a girl Raven."

"So?"

"So, last time I checked, you were straight. You used to like a lot of guys. What about Devon?"

"What about him? Devon's gone."

"Didn't you love him?"

Raven shook her head a little. "I thought I did. What I felt for Devon isn't what I feel for Chelsea. It was more like lust with Devon. I wanted him, I thought he'd be a great boyfriend. But..." Raven wasn't sure how far she should take this, but she continued anyway. "...with Chelsea, it's like I need her to survive. Like a person needs food or water. Without her...I think I might stop living."

"Wow Rae," Eddie said, running his fingers through his hair, "That's intense."

"Tell me about it." Raven sighed, watching her hands play with a few strands of her hair. Without looking at him, Raven asked, "So, are you grossed out? You wanna stop being my friend?"

"No girl. You know you're my best friend. I'm not gonna drop you over this. It-it's gonna take some gettin used to, but I'm still gonna be here."

Raven thought that if she had any tears left, she would have started crying then and there. She pulled Eddie into a tight hug, buring her face into his shoulder. "I'm so happy to hear you say that."

"You're still you right? You...just like girls now." Eddie said as they broke apart.

Raven nodded. "Just one girl really."

"So, you ever gonna tell Chels?"

"No. I didn't plan on it. But after today..."

"What? You think Ben will tell?"

"No. I mean, I talked to Chelsea today. After I left school, I was walking around and I ended up at Chelsea's. She saw me from her window and made me come inside. I'll skip the details but we had a fight and I think I said too much."

"You think Chelsea'll figure it out?"

"I don't think I said enough for her to figure that out, but she definitely knows something's up."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know Eddie. When you found out, your face...it was like you were disgusted by me."

"I didn't mean to be. I was just shocked."

"I know. But if Chelsea looked at me like that, I don't think my heart could take it."

"I don't think Chelsea'll be that way Rae. You know her."

"Yeah. I'm still scared though."

"Well, whatever happens, you know I got your back."

"Thanks Eddie."

They hugged again and Eddie stood up. "Don't worry Rae. I won't tell noone. Not even Chantel."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye." Eddie left.

Raven rubbed her eyes and laid back on her bed. She didn't feel great, but she did feel lighter. Having someone know about her secret took a figurative load off. Now, she could talk to Eddie and not hold in all of her feelings. Maybe it would help. Raven knew she'd still be tortured by her feelings, but at least now someone was there to listen.

Suddenly, her phone rang. Raven sat up; she knew who it was. Chelsea. Who else would it be? Eddie just left, he wouldn't be calling so soon. She didn't want to have to explain her actions over the phone, so Raven let it ring. The machine finally answered it.

_"Hey this is Rae, leave a message after the beep."_

**Beep.**

"Raven, it's Chelsea. Pick up. I know you're there. Pick up."

There was silence. Raven walked over to the machine, looking down at it as if she could see Chelsea's disappointed face staring back at her.

"Okay...call you later."

Chelsea called three more times that night, and Raven didn't answer any of them.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with "That's So Raven." **

Chapter 13

The next day at school, Raven felt a little better. She was listening to her walkman, bopping her head up and down to the funky sounds of "Boys In Motion," when someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was Ben.

"Hey Raven."

"Ya know Ben," Raven said, taking off her headphones and closing her locker, "it's really not customary to stay friends with your best friend's ex, if you get my meaning."

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"I don't think I'll ever be okay, but I'm doing better. Thanks."

"Okay." Ben said and then leaned in. He whispered, "And don't worry, I'm not telling anyone."

"Thanks." Raven said sincerely. Ben nodded and walked off.

Then, Eddie appeared. "Hey Rae."

"Hi."

"I talked to Chelsea last night. She said you weren't taking any of her calls?"

"Well, I couldn't think of a good enough excuse for the way I acted at her house, so I just didn't answer the phone."

"She's kinda upset. She thinks you don't want to be friends anymore."

"God, no. I knew she was going to think that. I just knew it." Raven whined, hanging her head.

Eddie put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What am I gonna do Eddie?"

"I don't know Rae, but at least you'll have some time to figure it out. Chelsea ain't gonna be here today, but she's definitely feeling better, so she'll be here tomorrow."

"Great. Just great. You know, it's my own fault. I got myself into this mess."

Eddie hugged Raven tightly and whispered in her ear, "You can't help who you love Rae. That's just how it is."

Raven nodded and hugged back. At least Eddie sort of understood. And at least Chelsea wasn't in school today. Raven knew that she had to face Chelsea sometime though, if she wanted to keep her as a friend.

But she didn't know what to tell her. It was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't," situation. Either Raven tells Chelsea and risks losing her as a friend, or Raven doesn't tell Chelsea and risks losing her as a friend. No win. There was a rock, a hard place, and Raven stuck right in the middle.

Raven spent the rest of the day thinking about what she was going to say to Chelsea tomorrow, but nothing good came to mind.

The next day, Raven woke up and took the coward's way out. She faked a stomach virus and got her parents to let her stay home from school, but not before calling Eddie and telling him, so Chelsea wouldn't feel too bad.

* * *

Eddie leaned against Raven's locker, holding Chantel by the waist and kissing her softly. 

"Isn't...Raven...gonna...be...mad?" Chantel asked between short kisses.

"Nah...she...ain't...here." Eddie replied and began to really kiss Chantel.

"Raven's not in today?" A voice said from beside them and they both stopped and turned to find Chelsea by her locker.

"Chels? How long have you been standing there?" Eddie asked, a little surprised that Chelsea talked to them as if they weren't doing anything.

"Oh, sorry. I just got here and heard Raven wasn't coming in. Why not?"

"She's sick. Got a stomach virus or something." Eddie said, looking at his shoes. He knew the real reason Raven didn't come to school today, and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable talking to Chelsea.

"I don't think she's sick. I think she's avoiding me." Chelsea said with hint of hurt in her voice.

"Why would Rae be avoiding you Chels?" Eddie laughed nervously. He tried to sound as normal as possible, but it wasn't really working.

"I'm gonna get to class early. I'll save you a seat." Chantel said, understanding that this conversation wasn't really any of her business.

"Oh, okay baby. I'll see you in a few." Eddie said, kissing Chantel quickly, thankful for the momentary distraction.

Chantel waved bye to Chelsea, who nodded, and then she walked off. Chelsea didn't waste a second. "She acted so weird at my house and she said that I'd hate her---"

"For what?"

"I don't know Eddie, that's what I'm trying to figure out." Chelsea slammed her locker shut in frustration, and Eddie flinched. She moved in closer, squinting in suspicion. "Do you happen to know why she'd think I'd hate her?"

"Me? Ah--aha, no. No. Nah, not me. Nope. I don't know nuttin. No. Not a thing." Eddie rambled on nervously, backing away from Chelsea slowly. Unfortunately, he backed himself into a corner.

"Eddie."

"Shoulda stopped at the first 'no' huh?"

Chelsea nodded. "So, what's up? Why's Rae acting so weird?"

Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Oh! That's the bell! We'd better go before we're late--" Eddie said happily, walking away from Chelsea. But Chelsea grabbed Eddie's arm and pulled him back into the corner.

"Dang girl! You're strong." Eddie whined, rubbing his bicep.

"Eddie." Chelsea warned.

"I think you bruised my bicep."

"Eddie!"

Eddie flinched and then sighed in defeat. "Look Chels. I know, but I can't tell you. It's up to Rae to do that."

"But Eddie--"

"But nothing Chels! You're my best friend, you know that. But Raven is too, and I promised I wouldn't tell. It ain't my choice."

"Can't you at least give me a hint? Is it something I did? Something Raven did? Why does she think I'm gonna hate her?"

"I'm sorry." Eddie said, shaking his head. "It's not my secret to tell."

Chelsea knew she wasn't going to get anything out of Eddie. Annoyed, hurt, and defeated, Chelsea shook her head and stepped aside. Eddie left his corner and started to walk to class, but he turned when Chelsea didn't follow.

"Hey Chels--" Eddie began, putting a hand on her shoulder, but Chelsea shrugged it off.

"Forget it Eddie. Later." She said firmly and walked out of school.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: For the love of God, I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven!" **

Chapter 14

At about noon, Raven took out her denim fabric from her closet and set it by her sewing machine. She had nothing else to do, so she decided to start working on the new jacket she had just designed.

Nobody else was home. Cory was at school, Tanya had a class and Victor was still trying to train the apparently untrainable waitress.

As she started up the sewing machine, Raven thought about what to tell Chelsea. No plausable excuses besides the truth or claiming temporary insanity were good enough.

"You gotta think of something Baxter...or it's over." She said aloud. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Maybe the insanity excuse would work...

Then, the front door slammed.

Raven shot up from her chair and ran into bed. Throwing the covers over herself, Raven wondered who it could be. Maybe her mother's class was cancelled, or her father got off from work early.

She heard excited footsteps climbing the stairs and approaching the bedroom door. For a second, Raven became frightened. Why were they in such a hurry to get to her room?

The door opened, there was a flash of copper hair, and Raven felt her stomach drop. It was Chelsea. A very, very upset Chelsea.

"Chelsea what are you doing here?"

Chelsea paced around the room nervously, shaking her hands in anxiety. "I left. I left school. I cut class. I didn't even make it to first period. Because-because I need to know what's wrong with you."

"What?"

"I left school before class and-and...I didn't know what to do. I thought about running to your house, but I was scared to, so I walked around San Fransico, wracking my brain, trying to think of...of any reason why you're acting so weird. I asked Eddie..."

Raven's heart lept up in her throat. Had he told?

"...but he kept your precious little secret. Yes secret. You've got a secret."

Chelsea raved on and on, gesturing wildly. Raven threw her covers off and slowly sat up in the bed, never taking her eyes off of Chelsea.

"You've got a secret and you're not telling me. That's fine, because I don't want to know anyway. I don't want to know why you've been acting so weird and avoiding me and...and..."

And then Chelsea started crying.

"Chelsea..." Raven said, standing up and going to hug her friend, but Chelsea shied away.

"No. No. What is it Raven? Why can't you tell me? Do you want to stop being friends?"

Raven shook her head wildly. "No girl. No." She was becoming very agitated herself. This was it. D-day. Zero hour.

"Then what is it because I'm going crazy here and I don't think I can take any more--"

"Chelsea, I love you!"

Chelsea stopped pacing and snapped her head toward Raven. "What?"

Not being able to control herself any longer, Raven grabbed Chelsea's arm and pulled her close, making her lips meet Chelsea's in a hard, passionate kiss.

Chelsea's free arm went up immediately like a red flag. Shaking her mouth free, she pulled her other arm from Raven's grasp and pushed herself away, losing her balance and falling on Raven's bed.

Raven put a hand to her mouth, squeezing her lips between her thumb and the middle of her bent forefinger. She looked at Chelsea's face and was surprised (and totally relieved) that disgust wasn't there. But her reaction wasn't positive.

Shock was there. Complete and total shock. Chelsea had paled considerably, almost to the point of translucence and her mouth was open just a little.

"I'm sorry Chelsea. I didn't mean to..." Raven took a step toward the bed and Chelsea leaned back. Raven stopped moving, afraid that Chelsea was going to scream.

Chelsea stood up slowly and started to back away from Raven toward the door.

"Chelsea just let me explain." Raven begged, but Chelsea kept backing away. Just like in her dream. Raven felt like she was stuck to her bedroom floor. She wanted to run to Chelsea, grab her, hold her, and never let go...but her legs weren't working.

Finally finding her voice, Chelsea said, "I...go." Then, she ran from the bedroom and out of the house.

Raven's legs started to work when she heard the front door slam and she ran down the stairs as fast as she could, almost tripping and falling twice. She scrambled for the front door and yanked it open, running out and looking around.

Chelsea was already gone.

Raven stood outside on her porch for a few more minutes, looking up and down her block just to make sure. When she was sure Chelsea was gone, Raven shuffled back inside and closed the front door. She staggered toward the couch, but her legs folded under and her knees hit the living room floor with a thud. She ran both of her shaky hands through her hair, pressing her temples a little. Another bout of fresh tears covered her eyes, but didn't spill over on to her cheeks.

What was she thinking, kissing Chelsea like that? What had she done? Chelsea apparently didn't want that, since it took her less than ten seconds to push Raven off of her. And her face...her shocked, pale face would be burned in Raven's brain forever.

_"You'll never have me."_

She bent foreward until her forehead touched the hardwood floor. The unshed tears collecting in her eyes fell, creating a strange pattern of droplets on the floor. Raven let her body fall on its side and she wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling herself into the fetal position.

And she stayed there.

* * *

Chelsea ran all the way to her house from Raven's, not stopping until she was sliding down her bedroom door to the soft carpet below, gasping for air. She thought she would faint from lack of oxygen, and that would be okay, because then should wouldn't have to think about what just happened. 

She leaned her head back against the door, looking up at the ceiling. One, two, three...twenty-two. Twenty two stars. She closed her eyes, thinking about the camping trip that she dragged Raven on.

_"There's so many."_

_"Yeah well, you can't really see them in the city, with all the lights from the buildings."_

_"I'm sorry I never gave this place a chance."_

_Chelsea looked at Raven, staring up at the sky, and saw the stars dancing in her eyes. She looked beaut--_

Chelsea snapped her eyes open just in time to see another plastic star fall from her ceiling. It floated a little, turning a few times before it hit the carpet.

* * *

**_Author's Note: Just wanted to tell you all that I took those lines from the TSR episode "Skunk'd." I'm not sure they're the exact lines, but that's where they came from. Well, execpt for the part where Chelsea sees the stars dancing in Raven's eyes...I made that up myself. lol._**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I think that says it all.**

Chapter 15

Eddie jogged up the steps to Raven's house, whistling the tune of a song he couldn't remember the name to. He skipped his last two classes to get there early, knowing that Victor, Tanya and Cory wouldn't be home for at least another hour. Plus, he had this very uneasy feeling in his stomach, like something was terribly wrong.

Chelsea didn't come to class after they spoke in the hallway, and Eddie figured that she stopped by. Hopefully, things went well, but Eddie had a sinking feeling that they didn't.

He knocked, but no one answered. He grabbed the doorknob and turned, surprised that it wasn't locked. But not as surprised as he was when he opened the door and found Raven curled up on the living room floor.

"Raven!" Eddie shouted, running to her. He fell to his knees beside her, looking her up and down. There wasn't signs of physical harm, but Raven's eyes were wide open. Too open, like they were stuck that way.

"Hey Rae," Eddie said softly, waving his hand in front of Raven's face. She didn't respond. She didn't even blink. He took her by the shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position, dragging her over and leaning her up against the couch. Kneeling beside her, Eddie called her name.

"Rae...Rae...Raven!" Eddie shouted into her face, but she didn't move. He tried to put himself in her line of vision, but her eyes were unfocused, like they were staring into nothing.

Panicking, Eddie did the only thing he could think of to snap her out of it. He slapped her.

That did it. Raven flinched, uncurling herself from the fetal position and shaking her head. She blinked once, twice, and then she looked at Eddie.

"Hey, you okay?" Eddie asked softly, putting a hand on Raven's shoulder.

"I did it."

"What?"

"I kissed her."

Eddie let out a long, slow breath, tightening his jaw. Judging by Raven's tone, and the state he found her in, Eddie concluded that things did not go well. He moved in closer, pulling Raven to him in a firm but comforting hug, and rested his chin on the top of her head. Raven wrapped her arms around his mid section, putting an ear to his chest, listening the slow rhythm of his heart.

* * *

_She stood there in awe as a poorly disguised Raven stuck it to Sam._

_"Good, because she invited me to a Lakers/Warriors game tonight, front row, floor seats." Raven leaned in closely and whispered, "Her dad's tight with Kobe."_

_Chelsea chuckled a little as Sam whined, "Aw man!" and kicked himself for passing her up._

_"That's right." Raven said, leaving him and walking over to Chelsea._

_"Rae, you were brilliant."_

_"Yeah well, nobody messes with my girl..."_

_She felt her heart beat faster in her chest. 'Her girl...'_

Chelsea woke up with a start when she heard a knock at her door.

"Chelsea? Sweetie, someone's here to see you." Her mother called from beyond the door.

Chelsea stood up quickly and backed away from the door to the middle of the room. "Who--who is it?"

"It's me." A deep voice answered. Ben.

"Uh-uh...come in." Chelsea said, and Ben opened the door and walked in. He stood there, uncomfortable. She didn't know why, but she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.

Mrs. Daniels stood in the doorway, smiling. "I'll be in my office dear, if you need me."

Chelsea smiled back, knowing all too well that anything less would make her mother suspicious. "Thanks Mom."

When they were alone, Chelsea said, "What do you want?"

"I wanted to see how you were holding up."

"Wow, you must be the first ex-boyfriend in the world to ask the girl he dumped how they were feeling."

"I didn't mean that. I mean...I had a vision."

Chelsea looked at Ben. "And?"

"And I saw Raven..." He didn't need to continue. Chelsea could see it in his face. He saw Raven kiss her. She sat down on her bed,playing with her hands.

Ben sat down next to her, folding his hands in his lap. He wanted to put his arm around her, but he wasn't sure that she'd want it. "So, how are you?"

"Scared, confused."

"Why? Because Raven kissed you?"

There were several moments of tense silence. Chelsea seemed to be lost in her thoughts, as if replaying the incident in her mind over and over.

Chelsea shook her head. "No...because I liked it."

* * *

**_Author's Note: Hey, just wanted to say that the little dream that Chelsea had was a scene from the "That's So Raven" episode "A Dog by Any Other Name." Well, except for the part where Chelsea's thinking "Her girl..." I added that myself. lol. _**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own anthing affiliated with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 16

Eddie hurridly walked from the kitchen to the living room with a glass of water. He handed it to Raven, who he'd finally gotten up off the floor and on to the couch. Raven took a few sips and set it down on the coffee table.

"How you doing?"

"How do you think I'm doing?" Raven said, but it wasn't vicious. It was just a question.

"You wanna tell me the whole story?"

Raven sighed, not really wanting to tell the whole thing.

"She came here, upset, telling me that she needed to know what was wrong. I tried to calm her down, but she started to cry...and my heart broke when I saw what I was doing to her." Raven's voice cracked with emotion.

"It's okay," Eddie soothed. "What happened next?"

"I-I couldn't help it Eddie. She just kept...demanding me to tell her why I was acting this way, so I told her. I said, 'Chelsea, I love you.' And...I kissed her."

Eddie swallowed hard. Now comes the hard part. "And what'd she do?"

Raven looked at Eddie and he saw her eye glaze over again, not in shock, but as if she were going back to the moment after she kissed Chelsea. "She...she ran away."

Eddie fought his own tears off, trying to play it strong for Raven.

"And I lost her. I lost her for--" Raven was cut off, sucking in air as she was pulled into a vision.

**_"I'm scared." Chelsea barely whispered and Raven grabbed her hand. It was night, Raven couldn't tell where they were._**

**_"I'm scared too." Raven replied, and she moved a few locks of Chelsea's hair behind her ears, exposing her beautiful face._**

**_A tear rolled down Chelsea's cheek as she closed her eyes. Raven pulled her closer, cupping Chelsea's jaw as their lips met..._**

The vision was suddenly over and Raven was gasping for air.

"What is it?" Eddie yelled, "What did you see?"

Raven jumped up and Eddie followed her. "I'm gonna kiss her again Eddie!" Raven screamed in excitement. "I'm gonna kiss her again!"

"What?" Eddie squeaked, his voice high pitched with excitement. "When? Where? How?"

"How?" Raven asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I know how Raven, it just came out."

"Oh, I gotta go. I gotta go find Chelsea!" Raven ran from the house. A smile so wide spread across her face, Raven thought her head was going to split at her lips.

* * *

"You liked it...and it freaked you out?" Ben asked and Chelsea nodded. 

"She's my best friend in the world Ben. And she's a girl. I can't..."

"Why not?"

"Because that's not who I am. At least...it's not who I thought I was."

"What do you mean?"

"I like guys Ben. I liked you, and others before you."

"Raven did too."

Chelsea let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't know if she should share it, but maybe Ben could help.

"The-the thing is Ben...I've felt this way before."

"Huh?"

"A few years ago. Raven...did this really great thing for me. She got back at a guy for me, and..." Chelsea swallowed the lump in her throat, rehashing her memories was making her very frightened. "...I sort of..."

"Developed a crush?"

"Yeah. But I thought that was over with. That I moved on. I-I mean, I never thought Rae would...what are the chances of that happening? And now...and I don't know what to do or how to feel."

They sat there for a moment, thinking about what Chelsea had just said.

"How did this happen?" Chelsea asked aloud to noone, putting her face in her hands.

"What did you do when Raven kissed you?"

"I-I ran away. What else was I supposed to do? You can't just drop a bomb like that, saying 'I love you' and kiss--Oh my God!" Chelsea's eyes widened. "She told me she loved me."

"She does."

Chelsea looked at Ben. "How do you know?"

"I'm psychic remember? I had a few...visions about it."

"Is that why you broke up with me? Because of Raven?"

"No. I broke up with you because of this. The way your feeling."

"You think I could..."

Ben nodded sadly. "I would love to be with you Chelsea, but if we stayed together, you'd never really know how you felt. And, I wanted to give you space until you figured it all out."

"What am I going to do Ben? I-I've never been so confused in my life."

"Just...trust your instincts. Listen to what your heart is telling you."

Chelsea thought about Ben's advice, and she was still scared out of her wits, but it made sense.

"Listen, I'm gonna get going, let you think things over."

Ben and Chelsea both stood up and walked to the front door.

"You know...you are amazing." Chelsea said. "Not a lot of guys would do this for their ex-girlfriends."

"I'm just trying to do what's best for you." Ben said.

Chelsea gave Ben and peck on the cheek and pulled him in a hug and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the cheek as well.

* * *

Raven's smiled faded as she watched Chelsea kiss Ben and hug, then Ben kiss Chelsea back. She stood there for a minute, all of her excitement turning into despair. 'They're getting back together,' her mind shouted at her, 'and you'll never have Chelsea. She'll never love you.' 

Raven backed away slowly, hot tears burning her already irritated eyes. Then, she turned and ran away, never looking back.

* * *

Chelsea walked Ben to the door and he hugged her once more before leaving. Going back to her room, she sat down on her bed and stared at her phone. 

She wanted to call Raven, but what would she say? "Oh hi Rae, yeah, about that kiss..."

It was confusing and scaring the crap out of her. Chelsea's whole body shook as she thought about the kiss. How soft Raven's lips felt on hers. How it felt so right. How the whole world just melted away for a second...before she pulled herself off.

It made her feel like she was fourteen again, when every time she closed her eyes, she saw Raven's beautiful face smiling at her. She was over it though. It was just a passing phase...wasn't it?

'I should call her,' she thought. 'No. No, don't call. Call. Call her. No, you don't know what to say. Call, you have to talk to her. No don't...'

"Stop!" Chelsea screamed aloud, and then felt stupid because she was arguing with herself.

Chelsea hesitantly reached for the phone, but then recoiled her hand. She reached out and touched it, but then drew her hand back. She picked up the phone, and slammed it down.

"No. I'll call her. I'll call her." Chelsea said, breathing deeply. She picked up the phone and dialed the number quickly, forcing herself to keep the phone at her ear, because her arm desperately wanted to slam the phone down on the receiver.

_"Hi this is Rae, leave a message after the beep."_

**BEEP.**

"Rae...it's Chelsea. Uh...could you please call me back? I-I think we need to talk."

Then, she hung up.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 17

Chelsea was sitting indian style on her bed, flipping through her old photo album when she got the first alarming call. It was about 5:30. She hadn't even noticed how fast the day had gone by.

She thought it was Raven, and it took five rings before she picked it up. "H-hello?"

"Hello Chelsea? Hi, it's Tanya Baxter."

"Oh! Hey Mrs. Baxter." Chelsea said, surprised. It wasn't really normal for Tanya Baxter to call her phone. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if Raven was over at your house."

"Uh...no. She's not. She's not home?"

"No. I haven't seen her all day. But, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Just, tell her to call me if she shows up."

"Okay, Mrs. B. Will do."

"All right. Bye now."

About an hour later, her mother came into her room. "Chelsea, sweetie, I just got off the phone with Tanya Baxter. Have you seen Raven today?"

Chelsea looked up from her book. She lied. "No. Raven wasn't in school today." Getting up from her bed, she said, "Mrs. Baxter called me like an hour ago, Raven isn't home yet?"

Mrs. Daniels shook her head sadly. "No honey. She's very worried, so if Raven calls, you tell me or your father, all right?"

Chelsea nodded, biting the nail on her forefinger. Mrs. Daniels recognized the anxiety and gave her daughter a quick hug. "Don't worry sweetie, I'm sure everything is all right. For all we know, Raven is already home."

"Yeah." Chelsea replied, but that didn't put her at ease.

Mrs. Daniels left and Chelsea sat back down on her bed. Her stomach felt like it was doing flips inside of her. Maybe Raven ran away because of the kiss and how Chelsea had reacted.

Maybe she thought she could never face Chelsea again. If that was the case, Chelsea knew it was all her fault.

Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang again. Chelsea picked it up before it could finish it's first ring and almost screamed, "Raven?"

"No, it's Eddie. So, Rae's not over there?"

"No. Eddie, I'm really worried."

"Raven didn't stop by your house at all?"

"No, why?"

"Because, she told me she was headed there."

"When?"

"That was this afternoon."

So, Raven had talked to Eddie, most likely after the kiss.

"And you haven't seen or heard from her since?" Chelsea nearly shouted, panic taking over her.

"No."

"Oh my God. What do we do Eddie?"

"I'm out here looking for her. You wanna meet me somewhere?"

"Yeah, sure. Where?"

"I'm over at the pizza place right now."

"Okay, I'll see you there in like ten minutes."

"All right. Bye."

Chelsea hung up, grabbed her jacket and ran for her front door. "Mom, Dad, I'm going out to look for Raven."

Chelsea didn't wait for their permission as she ran out the door.

* * *

Eddie scanned the pizza place for the fifth time, making sure he looked in every corner. Raven wasn't there. Where was she? What happened? Did she even make it to Chelsea's house? 

Suddenly, Chelsea was beside him, scanning the pizza place as well.

"Chels."

"She's not here."

"I know. I looked over this place like a million times. I looked in the mall, and the bowling alley, and the thrift stores over on Main Street. I went to "The Chill Grill" twice, but Mr. Baxter is already there. He says if Raven doesn't call or something by nine, they're gonna call the police."

"It's all my fault." Chelsea said shakily, tears of worry forming in her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Raven...she...she--"

"She kissed you."

"You know about that?"

"Yes, that was the secret I couldn't tell you Chels. I've known how she felt for a little while now."

"So, what'd she say?"

"She had a vision. And she was coming over to see you."

"When did she leave?"

"I don't know. I'd say about one, one-thirty."

Chelsea shook her head. "She didn't come to see me, and I'd know because Ben..." Chelsea's eyes widened. "Ben! Raven must've seen me and Ben and thought we were getting back together."

"Why would she think that?"

"Because...he was over at my house. We talked, we hugged...I kissed him on the cheek. You think she saw that?"

"Are you two getting back together?"

"No. Ben knew too and he just wanted to know how I was doing. Eddie, what if she saw us?"

Eddie shrugged. "She was a mess when I found her Chelsea, you have no idea." Eddie didn't want to go into detail, Chelsea seemed frightened enough as it was. "Seeing you with Ben might've..." Eddie didn't want to blame Chelsea, she looked guilty already,and it really wasn't her fault.

"Where would she go?"

"I really don't know Chelsea. I looked over all the places I could think of."

Chelsea looked around again, hoping that Raven would walk by, but she didn't. "Okay, I have my cell, you have yours?"

Eddie held his up. "Yeah."

"Let's split up. Check everywhere again. If you find her, call me. I'll do the same."

Eddie nodded. "Okay."

As they were about to split, Eddie turned. "Chelsea."

"What?"

"What...what if we don't find her?"

Chelsea shook her head. She didn't want to think about that possibility. "We'll find her."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with "That's So Raven."**

Chapter 18

Chelsea walked around Main Street, checking all of the shops that were still open. Raven was nowhere to be found. It was dark now, and it seemed as if Raven was going to be lost for tonight...and that scared Chelsea very badly. She stopped at the park entrance. They rarely hung out in the park. But maybe, just maybe...

It was really dark in there. The one lampost Chelsea could see was a good five hundred feet away at the center of the park. It seemed very dim, like it was about to go out.

She entered cautiously, a million stories about people being mugged or killed in parks at night running through her head.

"Raven?" Chelsea whispered, as if Raven could actually here her, if she was indeed in the park. She walked deeper and deeper into the darkness, trying her best to ignore the rustle of the bushes just off to her right.

As she came closer to the center, she could make out something sprawled across the lone bench just underneath the opening in the trees. The dim lamplight was just out of reach, but the shadow was very evident. It looked like a body.

"Rae?" Chelsea said a little louder, but the figure didn't move. 'It's a homeless person sleeping.' Chelsea mentally rationalized. 'There probably going to be mad at me.'

The clouds in the sky parted just a little, letting some moonlight shine through. It hit the end of the bench, and Chelsea could see a pair of very familiar sneakers. She froze, sucking in a large amount of air, but never releasing it.

The sky opened up and the moon cast a natural spotlight on the bench. It was Raven. She was laying on the bench. She wasn't moving; it didn't even look like she was breathing.

Chelsea opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. A quick irrational thought flew through her mind. 'She's dead.'

Her legs felt like jello and she staggered forward, wanting to move faster than she actually was.

'Please...she's all right. She has to be all right.'

After what seemed like an eternity, Chelsea finally reached Raven. Her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful.

"Rae." Chelsea managed to choke out. "Wake up."

Raven's eyes fluttered and Chelsea released the air she was holding. They opened, glowing in the moonlight. "Chelsea?" Raven said slowly. "What are you doing here?"

"No one knew where you were. You're parents are really worried."

"My parents?" Raven asked, confused. She sat up on the bench. It was then that she realized it was night time.

Chelsea sat down next to her, shaking very badly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..."

"I thought something bad happened to you." Chelsea's words were coming out in a low whisper.

"I'm okay."

"When I saw you lying here...I didn't know what to do."

"I just came here to think. I was looking up at the sky, I must've fell asleep. I'm sorry I scared everyone."

They sat there for a minute, and then Chelsea pulled out her cell phone. "Um...I have to call Eddie, tell him I found you. Hopefully, he'll tell your parents--"

Raven grabbed the top of the cell phone and lowered it toward Chelsea's lap. "Wait. I want to talk to you."

Chelsea nodded in agreement.

"About that kiss...I'm sorry. I don't know what...well, I do know what I was thinking, but I didn't mean to upset you or freak you out."

"Raven..."

"I'm really sorry. When you ran out the door, I knew I made a mistake. It's just, you were so intent on finding out what was going on--"

"Rae."

"I didn't know what else to do. Please, please don't hate me. I don't think I could live if I knew that you hated me--"

"Raven!"

Raven snapped her mouth closed and looked at Chelsea.

"It's okay. It's all right."

"You...you mean you don't hate me?"

Chelsea shook her head. "No. I don't hate you. I don't think I could ever hate you."

Raven's face brightened.

"I just...was shocked. Shocked and confused and frightened. And, and maybe I acted the wrong way about the whole thing, but I wasn't really thinking clearly. It was just instinct to run. You have no idea what that kiss did to me."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. I should apologize for leaving you like that. Leaving everything up in the air. But, I talked to Ben."

Raven nodded, looking at the ground. They had gotten back together, she just knew it. Why else would he be at her house, hugging her?

"And he told me to think about it. Let my heart lead the way."

Raven didn't take her eyes away from her shoes. "And?"

"I don't know. But I know I was freaking out when I thought you were missing...and I saw you here, not moving, I could only think one thing."

Raven looked at Chelsea. "What was that?"

"I was thinking...that my life wouldn't be the same without you." Chelsea's eyes started to glisten with tears.

Raven felt her heart lighten. "Yeah?"

Clouds started to cover the moon again, and the light was fading fast. Raven moved closer to Chelsea, her heart beating a mile a minute. This was it. This was her vision.

I'm scared." Chelsea barely whispered and Raven grabbed her hand.

"I'm scared too." Raven replied, and she moved a few locks of Chelsea's hair behind her ears, exposing her beautiful face.

A tear rolled down Chelsea's cheek as she closed her eyes. Raven pulled her closer, cupping Chelsea's jaw as their lips met...in a long, passionate kiss.

This time, Chelsea didn't pull away. She didn't fight it, she just let the world melt away. It was like they were the only two people in the universe. Chelsea parted her lips a little, letting Raven slid her tongue in to explore her mouth. Chelsea did the same, putting one hand on Raven's hip and the other on her back.

Raven felt Chelsea's hands on her and she smiled inwardly. This was all she had dreamed about and more...and she never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, Chelsea's cell phone began to ring very loudly.

They pulled apart, gasping for air and looking around. Nobody was in the darkened park but them.

"Strawberries." Raven whispered, running her tongue across her upper lip and smiling.

"What?" Chelsea asked over the loud ringing.

"Tell you later." Raven said and motioned for Chelsea to answer the phone.

Chelsea took her phone from her pocket and flipped it open. "Hello? Eddie, yeah, I found her. She's okay. Yeah. I'm taking her home right now. Yea sorry, I was just about to call you. Okay, see you soon."

Chelsea hung up, looking at Raven with a small smile on her face. "We should probably get you home. Your parents are freaking out."

"Okay."

They both stood up at the same time and began to walk out of the park. As they walked, Chelsea spoke up.

"Raven?"

Raven was positively smitten. "Hmm?"

"Is it okay if we don't tell anyone, just yet?"

"Yeah. I get it Chelsea."

They walked to Raven's house in silence, but Raven was floating on air. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She kissed Chelsea twice, and not only did Chelsea not hate her, she actually wanted it. Sure, keeping it a secret would probably be hard, but Raven knew where Chelsea was coming from. This was all new to her (or so Raven thought) and she understood the need to keep it quiet. Raven didn't expect Chelsea to come out and say, "I love you." That stuff took time. But Raven knew that it was going to happen. It had to.

They were a few houses from Raven's when Chelsea said, "When your punishment is lifted, we have to sit down and talk about this."

"Punishment?"

"Yeah, I'm sure your parents are going to ground you once they find out you're okay."

"You're probably right. And we will talk about it. I promise."

"Okay."

Before they even got to Raven's house, Eddie was running down the porch steps toward them. He pulled Raven into a hug before she got to say anything. "Are you okay?" He asked, stepping back and looking her over, something that she was sure both of her parents were also going to do.

Raven smiled and nodded happily, and Eddie's face brightened. She didn't have to say anything; he knew that Chelsea and her had worked everything out.

They reached the door just in time for a frantic Tanya to yank it open. There were tears of both worry and happiness in her eyes. "Raven Baxter, where on Earth have you been!"

All three teens flinched. Raven stepped forward and Tanya pulled her into a very tight hug. "You had me worried sick."

"I'm okay Mom. I'm so sorry, I was at the park and I fell asleep."

"Yeah well, you get inside and call your father. He's out, driving all over San Fransico, looking for you. Then, we'll deal with you."

Raven nodded and hurried inside, turning and waving goodbye to Eddie and Chelsea. Tanya glared at Raven, and she ran into the kitchen. Then, Tanya turned back to Eddie and Chelsea.

"Thank you, for bringing her home."

"No problem Mrs. B." Eddie said, shrugging it off. "Chelsea is the one who found her."

Tanya hugged Chelsea and whispered a sincere, "Thank You."

"Okay." Chelsea said, a little uncomfortable with the contact.

They pulled apart, Tanya thanked them one more time, and then she closed the door.

Eddie and Chelsea headed down the stairs and Eddie said, "Everything okay with you two?"

Chelsea nodded. "Yeah."

"So...I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Eddie didn't want to pry and Chelsea was very grateful.

"Okay."

They went their seperate ways.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with "That's So Raven." **

Chapter 19

Raven bounded down the stairs for breakfast, smiling brightly at the rest of her family, who were running around the kitchen in the usual morning frenzy.

"Morning everyone!" She practically sang.

"Morning sweetheart," Victor said, flipping a perfect pancake on to a plate. "Pancakes for breakfast."

"Great!" Raven exclaimed, kissing her father on the cheek, startling him.

"Well, aren't we in a happy mood?" Tanya said, half-laughing and Raven hugged her, surprising her more.

"Yeah, aren't we in too happy a mood, considering the yelling and two week punishment we received last night?" Cory asked, trying to be a killjoy. But nothing was bringing Raven down.

"Yes, we are in a happy mood, even though our little bratty brother is trying to bring us down. And if he continues, I will kiss him in front of everyone when I drop him off at school."

Raven stared at Cory; her face was all smiles, but her eyes told him she meant business. Cory stuck his tongue out at Raven and left the table.

Victor handed two pancakes on a plate to Raven and she thanked him, sitting at the table and covering them in syrup.

"So, you seem cheerful this morning, is there any particular reason?" Tanya asked, pouring herself and Raven a glass of orange juice.

Raven shrugged. "Nope. Look, I know I've been acting a little down lately, but I think things are gonna get better very soon."

"Why is that?" Victor said from the stove.

"I don't know." Raven said, cutting into the pancakes and pulling out a small triangle. "I just have this feeling that they are."

Raven put the piece in her mouth, savoring the taste. It was the best piece of pancake she had ever had in her life. She gobbled the rest very quickly, while Victor and Tanya shared a relieved glance.

* * *

Eddie was waiting by Raven's locker when she arrived at school. "Eddie, my man, what's up? What's happening? What is going on?" 

"Just wanted to know the verdict and sentencing. But judging by that greeting, I'd say you got off easy."

"Wrong! I'm guilty as charged and sentenced to two weeks in my bedroom with an additional four weeks of dishwashing and laundry service."

"Ouch."

"No, it's all good. I think I'll get time off for good behavior."

"Nice."

Raven opened her locker quickly and shoved her book bag in, taking her binder and History textbook out afterward.

"Hi guys." A soft voice called from the other side of her opened locker door, and Raven felt a tingle move up and down her spine. There was a quick waft of strawberry fragrance; Raven closed her eyes and let the aroma surround her.

"Hey Chels." Eddie greeted.

Raven closed her locker and turned around, leaning on it. "Hey."

"Hi." Chelsea could feel her cheeks getting hot. "How long are you in for?"

"Two weeks, but I'm hoping for a reduced sentence." Raven said, smiling at the fact that Chelsea was blushing.

Chelsea wrinkled her forehead, rolling her eyes a little and smiling. "Listen, do you have the History notes for the past couple of days? I need to catch up. I got Science, English and Math covered. I just need History and Spanish, but I can wait one more day for Spanish.

"Uh, sure." Raven said, going through her binder. "I got all but yesterday's."

"I got yesterday's Chels." Eddie said, flipping his notebook open.

"You want them now or later?"

"Later I guess. You wanna meet me in the library during lunch?"

"Sure." Raven nodded.

"I can't." Eddie said. "I'm eating lunch with Chantel...well, I'm watching Chantel eat lunch. But, I'll give the notes to Rae and you can both copy them."

"Okay, cool." Chelsea said. Then, the bell rang. Eddie started off to class, meeting up with Chantel by her locker. They walked ahead of Chelsea and Raven.

Raven leaned in toward Chelsea and whispered in her ear. "You're blushing."

"Yeah." Chelsea replied, embarassed.

"It's cute."

They walked together in silence for a little while, then Chelsea whispered. "I'm glad Eddie isn't coming to the library. It'll give us a chance to talk. I don't think it can wait two weeks."

Raven nodded in agreement and they walked into the classroom.

* * *

Raven walked into the library, scanning it quickly for Chelsea. Chelsea was sitting at the small square table in the far right corner of the library, by the old periodicals, where almost nobody went. 

"Perfect." Raven whispered as she walked toward the redhead.

Chelsea looked up from her notebook when Raven got to the table. She smiled shyly as Raven sat down. "Hey." She whispered. "Got the notes?"

Raven held up her binder. "Yeah, now, you might want to pace yourself, there are a lot. You don't want a hand cramp."

Chelsea nodded in mock seriousness. "Yes, sir."

Both girls giggled, and received their first warning glare from a passing librarian. Raven gave her an apologetic look and sat down. "Okay, I'll copy Eddie's first while you're copying mine and then you can copy Eddie's."

"Sounds like a plan."

Raven handed her binder to Chelsea, leaving a few pieces of looseleaf out for herself. Both girls scribbled away in silence, each one looking up at the other at different times.

Suddenly, Chelsea dropped her pen and began to rub her hand quickly, her face scrunching in pain. Raven shook her head. "Hand cramp?"

Chelsea nodded shaking the pain off.

"See now, I warned you."

Chelsea smiled, opening and closing her hand rapidly.

"Well, I'm just about done." Raven said, copying the last few sentences of Eddie's notes. "How far did you get?"

"Almost finished. I think I'm gonna take a break."

"Okay." Raven replied, looking around the library. They were all alone in the corner. Everyone else was out of earshot if they whispered. "S-so. What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Chelsea asked, shaking her hand some more.

"You said we needed to talk about last night."

"Yeah. About that, I...I think it's better for after school."

"Oh." Raven whispered, slightly disappointed. Maybe Chelsea was rethinking the whole kiss thing. Maybe she didn't like it too much after all.

It was as if Chelsea could read Raven's face, because she said, "I'm sorry. I just think that it would be better if we didn't have to whisper our conversation. And maybe have a little more privacy. You think you can get your parents to let you come over to my house tonight?"

Raven shrugged. "I doubt it. I'm not that lucky."

"Not even if you said it was for a project?"

"I don't think they'd believe me. Maybe they'll let you come over to my house though."

"I could call them and ask."

"You could." Then, Raven's eyes began to twinkle as she schemed. "Besides, we do kind of have to do a project for English."

"We're writing a paper about 'The Catcher in the Rye.' And we're supposed to do it alone."

"Yeah well, my parents don't have to know that part. And it's not like you haven't done it already you nerd." Raven teased.

"Shut up." Chelsea said back, gently throwing her pen at Raven. It hit Raven square in the forehead, and Chelsea burst into laughter...just a little too loudly, because the librarian cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Sorry." Chelsea mouthed, but then put her head in her arms on the table, her shoulders shaking as she laughed.

Raven laughed silently, feeling good that they could still act regular around each other. It wasn't as if nothing happened between them, but the relationship they had, as best friends, wasn't altered too much. Hopefully, it wouldn't be.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own anything. I swear I don't!**

Chapter 20

That night, before dinner, Chelsea called. She called the house phone, not Raven's line, and asked Tanya if it was okay to come over, given Raven's current punishment. Tanya was a little hesistant at first, but Chelsea threw in the project excuse and some sort of grade percentage, and Tanya caved.

"One hour. No more." Tanya said on the phone, and Chelsea waited a second for Raven's response.

"But Mom, it's a really complicated project and it could take longer. We only have so many days before it's due. How about two hours?" She could hear Raven say on the other end of the line.

"An hour and fifteen minutes."

"An hour and forty five minutes." Raven really knew where it was going to end up and ninety minutes was better than sixty.

Tanya sighed. "An hour and a half...and that's it Raven."

Chelsea nodded on the other end of the receiver, saluting Raven's negotiation skills. If the whole fashion thing didn't work out, lawyer would be the next best choice. She could already hear Raven saying, "_And wear nastly little grey power suits all day? I don't think so girl."_

"...sea, Chelsea are you still there?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry Mrs. B. Yeah, so it's okay?"

"Yes. After dinner, you can come over."

"Around seven then?"

"Yes Chelsea, seven would be fine."

"Okay. Thanks. Bye."

"Goodbye."

* * *

A little after seven o'clock (She didn't want to push her luck) Chelsea arrived at Raven's. She was equipped with her notebook, a textbook, and "The Catcher in the Rye." Tanya opened the door. 

"Hello Chelsea."

"Hi." Chelsea said sheepishly, stepping into the house. Raven cautiously came out of the kitchen.

"Hey Chels. Ready for the project?"

"Uh, yeah Rae. I have everything." Chelsea held up her small pile of books.

"Okay great. Well, I'm done with the dishes Mom, so we'll be upstairs--" Raven grabbed Chelsea's arm and was about to quickly drag her upstairs when Tanya put a hand up.

"Hold it."

Raven cringed and turned. This wasn't going to be as simple as she thought. "Yeah?"

"You know, I've been hearing a lot about this 'project,' but I don't know what it's about. So, why don't you girls tell me?"

Chelsea and Raven looked at each other, as if mentally debating which would handle the excuse. Chelsea took the initiative, thinking that it would seem more believable if Tanya heard it from her. She handed her books to Raven and began to make her way back down the stairs.

"Oh, Rae didn't tell you?"

Tanya shook her head, smiling.

"All right. Well...well, the, uh, the project is about 'The Catcher in the Rye.' We just finished it, great book."

"Uh-huh."

"See, we--meaning Raven and myself..." Chelsea gestured toward Raven and then pointed at herself. "...we have to..."

Raven craned her neck forward, her eyes as round as saucers. Where was Chelsea going with this?

"We have to t-take a part from the book and analyze it, and present our...analysis in front of class."

"Oh. I see." Tanya nodded. "Have you decided on a part yet?"

"No. Not yet." Chelsea shook her head vigorously. "That's why I'm here tonight. We're gonna pick out a part and try to..." Chelsea bit her lip, cursing her self for not knowing another word. "...ana...lyze it."

Tanya looked at Raven, who nodded, and then looked back at Chelsea. Chelsea held her breath, praying that Tanya would buy it. Tanya nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll be here in the kitchen if you girls need anything."

"Okay." Both girls answered in unison.

Tanya left as Chelsea met Raven in the middle of the stairway.

"What was that?" Raven asked, surprised.

"I had to think of something really fast. We didn't exactly make up an entire story for your mom. I was on the spot Rae."

"No, it was great. I didn't know you could think on your toes like that."

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You know what I mean."

"Whatever." Chelsea said, pretending to be hurt. "You have no faith in me, that's fine."

Chelsea started up the stairs, putting the back of her hand to her heart playfully, making it seem as if she were really offended by Raven's thoughts. Raven followed her, not recognizing the pretend of it all. "Chels wait, you know I have faith in you."

"Aw, Rae. I was just kidding."

"Oh." Raven blushed with embarassment. "Sorry."

Chelsea laughed as they headed into Raven's room. Raven closed the door and set Chelsea's books down on her desk. Chelsea sat down on Raven's bed, and Raven plopped down next to her, but not too close. She didn't want Chelsea to be uncomfortable.

"So...let's talk."

"Okay." Chelsea said, exhaling deeply. "I...kind of have a confession to make."

"What?" Raven moved a little closer, the tension in her stomach beginning to build.

"You remember two years ago, when I was gonna go out with a guy named Sam?"

"How could I forget? He had the same name and personality as your dog."

"Hey, Sammy Whammyhas a great personality."

"Whatever, continue."

"Okay. Remember when he stood me up...and you pretended to be a guy the next day to teach him a lesson?"

"Yeah sure."

"Well...when you did that, you didn't realize how much it actually meant to me."

"I'm sure you would've done the same thing for me Chelsea."

"Yeah I know, but that's not what I'm getting at here."

"So...what are you getting at? What does Sam have to do with anything?"

"Okay, just shush for a second and I'll tell you." Chelsea whined, getting a little annoyed that Raven kept interrupting. Raven promptly closed her mouth.

Chelsea looked away for a second, and then turned back to Raven, gently taking hold of one of her hands. "When you did that for me, I...I-I kind of developed feelings...for you."

Raven sucked in air. "What? You...for me?"

Chelsea nodded. "Yeah, that's the same thing I kept saying to myself. It was strange and definitely new, but I couldn't help how I felt. But, I never thought you could possibly like me back. What were the chances of that? So...I just hid it from you."

Raven slipped her hand from Chelsea's moving away a little and losing herself in her thoughts. Chelsea had had feelings for Raven since they were fourteen. That was a long time to hide something. Raven thought hiding her feelings for a few months was torture; she couldn't imagine how nearly three years felt.

"I thought it was a phase." Chelsea continued. "That it would pass, but it didn't. Sure, I denied my feelings for a while, and finally learned to bury them deep, deep down inside of me...that's how I managed to go out with other guys. Guys like Curtis or Ben. But I think the feelings were always there. That's why Ben broke up with me. He had a vision...several visions, and he knew that it was going to lead to this."

Raven nodded, but she didn't say anything. She looked at Chelsea with more emotion than she ever thought she possibly could.

"When you kissed me Rae, it was like you woke me up. All of the feelings that I managed to keep deep down suddenly rose to the top. And that's why I ran. I hadn't confronted them in such a long time, it scared me when they came back."

Chelsea breathed deeply, filling the silent room with nervous air. "I want this to work. I really want it all to work, but we have to take it slow. If we rush, I'm afraid I'll lose it again. And I don't want to, because I do have feelings for you Raven. And I know you said you loved me, but I...I can't say it back. I don't want to hurt you, but it's going to take some time."

Raven felt her heart swell. She thought it would burst if she let it. "Okay."

"Okay?" Chelsea asked, a little relieved.

Raven nodded. "Yes. You don't know how happy I am to hear this Chelsea. You don't have to say you love me. Right now, you just sticking around is more than enough for me."

Chelsea released some more tense air in relief, shaking a little from the adrenaline she built up for the confession. "Okay."

Raven moved closer again, taking both of Chelsea's hands in her own. "I-I know you want to take it slow, and I respect that. But, would it be okay if I kissed you right now?"

Chelsea smiled softly, nodding. "We've already done that twice. Once more isn't going to hurt."

Raven leaned in, closing her eyes and bending her head to the right. Chelsea bent her head to the left, closing her eyes and meeting Raven the rest of the way. Their mouths connected, and it was as if all time had stopped. Passion, love, and happiness exploded from their bodies and filled the room. Chelsea took her hands from Raven and wrapped her arms around her waist. Raven did the same and they pulled toward one another, like polar magnets that finally got to connect.

They ended their kiss, but embraced one another fully, resting their heads on each other's shoulders.

Raven knew that she wouldn't be happier than she was right now, just being able to hold the one she loved. Her dream had come true, her fantasy a reality, and nothing else in the world could make her feel so complete.

"Hey Rae?" Chelsea whispered, not taking her head off of Raven's shoulder.

"Hmm?" Raven mumbled in contentment.

"What did it mean when you said 'strawberries?'"

Raven laughed a little and whispered back, "You taste like strawberries...you smell like strawberries."

"Yeah? Good or bad thing?"

"Good. Very, very good."

Raven closed her eyes, letting her love for Chelsea wash over her. They stayed that way the whole time, happy and comfortable in one another's arms.

**The End.**

_"Sweet Thing" by Van Morrison_

_And I will stroll the merry way  
And jump the hedges first  
And I will drink the clear  
Clean water for to quench my thirst  
And I shall watch the ferry-boats  
And they'll get high  
On a bluer ocean  
Against tomorrow's sky  
And I will never grow so old again  
And I will walk and talk In gardens all wet with rain_

_Oh sweet thing, sweet thing  
My, my, my, my, my sweet thing  
And I shall drive my chariot  
Down your streets and cry  
'hey, it's me, I'm dynamite  
And I don't know why'  
And you shall take me strongly  
In your arms again  
And I will not remember  
That I even felt the pain.  
We shall walk and talk  
In gardens all misty and wet with rain  
And I will never, never, never  
Grow so old again._

_Oh sweet thing, sweet thing  
My, my, my, my, my sweet thing  
And I will raise my hand up  
Into the night time sky  
And count the stars  
That's shining in your eye  
Just to dig it all an' not to wonder  
That's just fine  
And I'll be satisfied  
Not to read in between the lines  
And I will walk and talk  
In gardens all wet with rain  
And I will never, ever, ever, ever  
Grow so old again.  
Oh sweet thing, sweet thing  
Sugar-baby with your champagne eyes  
And your saint-like smile..._

* * *

**_Author's Note: Yes, sadly, this story has come to an end. But don't worry, I want to write a sequel, because there's more to the story, but I didn't want to make this fic too long. So, hopefully all of you will follow me to my continuation. _**

**_Which one's greater, a gazillion or a bajillion? Aw, nevermind...countless thanks to all of you that read so faithfully and reviewed just as much. Once again, you have lifted my spirits and boosted my confidence to new heights. To readers such as "Faded Writer" "ymarti89" "erisedliaisons" and"kitkatkit27" I offer my heartfelt thanks. You have no idea how much all of your comments mean to me._**

**_To "Allison L.F."--I'm happy that you love this story so. And "#1 favorite author?" I'm flattered and honored. You made my year, I mean it. Thank you very much._**

**_To "The Soul Piper"--Your story is one of the best I've ever read, and I can't wait to read more. Thank you for taking the time to read mine and comment. When I first started to read TSR fanfic, I always thought yours was the most intriguing, emotionally raw, and powerful. You haven't disappointed yet. _**

**_And my deepest gratitude goes to "Chelsea Van Der Pol" whose enthusiastic comments and wonderfulcompliments (which I'm sure I don't deserve)gave me the energy to write this story so quickly. Not only have a gained a reader, I've also gained a friend. Your story is the best. It's descriptive, full of intense emotion and it always leaves me wanting more. Thanks for all of your feedback. This story is dedicated to you. _**


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